# RayLab vs Gear Design

The clearest difference is review sentiment: RayLab at 75% against Gear Design's 0%. RayLab also leads on price (Free vs $2.99) and rating (4.7 vs 1.5). Gear Design's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ads (none vs shown).

RayLab is free to download; Gear Design costs $2.99 up front. RayLab sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Gear Design asks for nothing beyond the download.

RayLab holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 1.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: RayLab has 67 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of RayLab's written reviews are positive against 0% of Gear Design's.

RayLab ships an update every 6 weeks, Gear Design every 12 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | RayLab | Gear Design |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | **[4.7 (67 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/raylab/id710190065/reviews)** | [1.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gear-design/id1136191442/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **67** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **75.0% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 12 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 39 MB | 38 MB |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 | **9.3** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kamyar Ghandi](https://appshunter.io/developer/710190068) | [DRH YAZILIM VE MUHENDISLIK HIZMETLERI LTD STI](https://appshunter.io/developer/914295588) |

## What reviewers say

### RayLab

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/raylab/id710190065)

Design and simulate optical systems with this powerful tool. Explore 2D and 3D models, perform advanced ray tracing, and analyze optical performance. Ideal for learning or professional design.

**Highlights:** 2D/3D optical modeling, Geometric ray tracing, Sequential and non-sequential analysis, Advanced optical elements, Polarization ray tracing, Design optimization, Glass catalogs

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| RayLab Pro Subscription | $3.99 | per month |
| RayLab Pro Upgrade | Free | one-time |
| Schott Glass Catalog | $0.99 | one-time |
| Custom Glass Editor | $0.99 | one-time |
| Advanced Optical Elements | $1.99 | one-time |
| Source and Lens Arrays | $1.99 | one-time |
| Solver/Optimizer Module | $3.99 | one-time |
| 3D Modeling | $4.99 | one-time |
| RayLab Pro 2 | $19.99 | one-time |
| RayLab Pro Bundle | $19.99 | one-time |


### Gear Design

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gear-design/id1136191442)

Design involute gears with a CAD interface, allowing visual assessment through touch gestures. Generate and export STL data for 3D printing and perform tooth bending strength analysis with PDF sharing.

**Highlights:** Involute gear design, CAD interface, Touch gesture controls (zoom, rotate), STL data generation, Email export, Tooth bending strength analysis, PDF sharing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is RayLab free?

RayLab is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Gear Design free?

Gear Design costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, RayLab or Gear Design?

RayLab is rated higher. RayLab averages 4.7 out of 5 from 67 ratings, while Gear Design averages 1.5 from 2 ratings.

### Do RayLab or Gear Design have ads?

RayLab shows ads; Gear Design does not.

### Which is updated more often, RayLab or Gear Design?

RayLab ships an update every 6 weeks, and Gear Design every 12 months. Most recently, RayLab was updated on October 23, 2026 and Gear Design on October 9, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*