Comparison

Physics Playground App vs Time Dilation Explorer Lab

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Physics Playground App

Explore the universe of physics and math through interactive simulations and real-time equation adjustments. Learn concepts from basic counting to advanced theories with hands-on playgrounds and mini-games that earn you badges. Designed for all levels of understanding, from children to PhDs.

Highlights
  • Interactive physics and math playgrounds
  • Real-time equation adjustments
  • Adjustable difficulty slider (Child to PhD)
  • Mini-games with badge rewards
  • Concept map for interconnected ideas
  • Offline-first functionality
  • No ads or accounts required
Features
Read full description

Physics & Math, made playable. Touch a slider and watch the equation rewrite itself. Tilt a ramp and feel the friction. Aim a cannon, dial in a Lorentz factor, swing a double pendulum into chaos. Every idea has a hands-on playground that responds in real time. One app. The entire universe of physics and math - from counting blocks to category theory, from throwing a ball to the Theory of Everything. WHAT'S INSIDE • 55+ topics across Physics and Math, organized by tier - Classical, Modern, Frontier, plus Math Foundations, Intermediate, and Frontier. • A live difficulty slider that rewrites every explanation in real time for Child, Teen, Undergrad, or PhD. • Interactive playgrounds for every topic. Sliders, simulations, force diagrams, and SpriteKit physics that actually behave like physics. • Mini-games that earn you badges - predict chaos, balance crates, dial in gamma, win at quantum measurement, escape a black hole. • A concept map that shows how every idea connects to every other - drag, zoom, tap a node and dive in. • A constellation of earned badges that grows as you master the subjects. PHYSICS, FROM "WHAT IF" TO "WHY" Newton's Laws. Projectile motion. Energy & momentum. Orbits. Waves. Pendulum chaos. Thermodynamics. Fluids. Optics. Electromagnetism. Special Relativity. Spacetime. Photoelectric effect. Double-slit. Heisenberg uncertainty. Quantum tunneling. Stern-Gerlach spin. Atomic orbitals. The Standard Model. Statistical mechanics. Condensed matter. Lasers. Black holes. The Big Bang. String theory. Loop quantum gravity. Entanglement. Quantum computing. And the prize at the end - a Theory of Everything badge for mastering them all. MATH THAT BUILDS Counting → addition → subtraction → multiplication → division → fractions → decimals → percents and ratios → the number line. Then algebra, geometry, trigonometry, functions, exponents and logs, sequences, probability, and statistics. Then limits, derivatives, integrals, linear algebra, differential equations, complex analysis, topology, and category theory. HOW IT WORKS Pick a topic. Read a leveled explanation that matches your background. Scroll to the live equation strip and watch the variables update as you drag. Play with the simulator. Take on the challenge, earn the badge. Tap a related topic to follow the thread - every page links to its prerequisites and to the ideas it unlocks. BUILT FOR FOCUS • Beautiful, calm visuals on a deep-space backdrop. • Smooth 60fps animations, gentle haptics, and confetti for the wins. • No ads. No accounts. No tracking. • Designed for iPhone and iPad with full split-view support. • Offline-first - everything is on device. WHO IT'S FOR Curious kids who want to know what makes things go. Students who'd rather feel an equation than memorize it. Self-learners coming back to math years later. Grad students looking for the cleanest one-page mental model of a topic. Teachers and parents who want a single shareable demo for any concept that comes up. If you've ever wondered why airplanes turn the way they do, why time slows down at high speeds, why a pendulum can be predictable AND chaotic, or what a quantum bit actually is - this is the app. One scroll. One slider. One badge at a time. The universe, unlocked.

About

Time Dilation Explorer Lab

Features
Read full description

Time Dilation Explorer Lab turns special relativity into an interactive space-science lab. Slide toward the speed of light and watch time change in real time. Compare Earth time with traveler time, explore the light-clock thought experiment, send a virtual ship toward nearby stars, and learn why Einstein's ideas matter in real science and technology. Designed for curious learners, students, teachers, and space fans, the app explains time dilation, length contraction, the twin paradox, light speed, GPS corrections, and near-light-speed travel through visual simulations and short lessons. Key features: - Interactive time dilation simulator with Earth and traveler clocks - Speed vs Time graph for comparing journeys across cosmic distances - Light Clock demo showing why moving clocks tick slower - Twin Paradox visualization with Earth twin and traveler twin timelines - Length Contraction lab for seeing fast-moving objects shrink along motion - Cosmic Journey mode with destinations from the Moon to Andromeda - Bite-sized relativity lessons with examples, takeaways, and fun facts - Quiz mode with categories, best scores, streaks, and hints - Progress dashboard with lesson completion, quiz progress, and badges - Daily relativity facts and achievement rewards The free version includes core simulations, starter lessons, quizzes, and selected destinations. A one-time Premium unlock removes ads and opens advanced lessons, full-speed controls, expanded quiz content, extra destinations, and additional interactive tools. Whether you are reviewing physics for school, introducing relativity in a classroom, or simply wondering what a near-light-speed journey would feel like, Time Dilation Explorer Lab helps make spacetime visible.

Screenshots

Physics Playground App4 screens
Time Dilation Explorer Lab4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Physics Playground App at none against Time Dilation Explorer Lab's 1. Physics Playground App also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (18 vs 26.2). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Time Dilation Explorer Lab sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Physics Playground App asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
Physics Playground App versus Time Dilation Explorer Lab: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPhysics Playground AppTime Dilation Explorer Lab
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyWeekly—
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18 — better26.2
Further details — not scored
Size29 MB16 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAJA Digital LLCChatStick Company Limited

In-app purchases

None

Physics Playground App

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Time Dilation Explorer Lab

One-time1
  • Unlock All Features$2.99

Questions

Is Physics Playground App free?
Physics Playground App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Time Dilation Explorer Lab free?
Time Dilation Explorer Lab is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Physics Playground App or Time Dilation Explorer Lab have ads?
Time Dilation Explorer Lab shows ads; Physics Playground App does not.

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