# SimplePlanes vs Light Ignite

The clearest difference is price: Light Ignite at Free against SimplePlanes's $5.99. Light Ignite also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 12.0). SimplePlanes's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 9) and ads (none vs shown). On rating, ratings volume and device support there is nothing between them.

Light Ignite is free to download; SimplePlanes costs $5.99 up front. Light Ignite sells 9 one-off in-app purchases. SimplePlanes asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for SimplePlanes against 4.5 for Light Ignite. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3K and 1.1K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 84% of SimplePlanes's written reviews are positive against 54% of Light Ignite's.

SimplePlanes ships an update every 3 months, Light Ignite every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SimplePlanes | Light Ignite |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $5.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.6 (3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simpleplanes/id823869162/reviews)** | [4.5 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/light-ignite/id1487518293/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3K** | 1.1K |
| Positive reviews | **83.5% of reviews** | 54.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#82** | — |
| Size | 335 MB | 277 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | **10.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jundroo, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/311852133) | [Branching Factor LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1482103510) |

## What reviewers say

### SimplePlanes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simpleplanes/id823869162)

**Currently charting:** #82 Top Paid · Simulation (US App Store)

Design, build, and fly your own aircraft with realistic physics. Explore a vast community-created library of over 250,000 planes or test your creations in challenging scenarios.

**Highlights:** Build custom airplanes with modular parts, Realistic flight physics simulation, Download over 250,000 community-created aircraft, Engage in flight challenges, Sandbox mode for unrestricted building, Educational tutorials on airplane design

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and creative sandbox
- 🚀 Powerful building mechanics
- 📥 Ability to download community-created planes
- 🎨 Customizable vehicles
- ⚙️ Realistic physics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and glitches (crashes, invisible collisions, control issues)
- 🚫 Lack of mod support on mobile
- 🌍 Limited map/island selection on mobile
- 🔍 Difficulty finding/downloading larger planes on mobile
- 🎮 Awkward mobile controls

**Reported bugs**

- Undo function causing plane glitches
- Autopilot issues (retracting landing gear)
- Invisible collision problems
- Planes spawning in ground/air unexpectedly
- Graphical/performance issues on older devices

**Requested features**

- Add multiplayer mode
- Implement more advanced damage/failure models
- Expand map selection (e.g. desert island, underwater view)
- Improve AI behavior and add more combat-focused missions
- Introduce new vehicle types (e.g. tanks, ships, trains)


### Light Ignite

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/light-ignite/id1487518293)

Explore the mesmerizing physics of light in this captivating puzzle game. Manipulate lasers, mirrors, and prisms to solve intricate optical challenges. Unleash your creativity by building and sharing your own levels.

**Highlights:** Optical puzzle challenges, Laser manipulation, Level editor, Community level sharing, Real-time physics engine, Offline play

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $0.99 | one-time |
| VIP Pass | $0.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |
| Sandbox | $1.99 | one-time |
| VIP Pass | $1.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $2.99 | one-time |
| Unlock + Remove Ads | $2.99 | one-time |
| VIP Pass | $2.99 | one-time |
| Sandbox, Level Packs, No Ads | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great game mechanics
- 👍 Fun and challenging puzzles
- 💡 Unique light/optics concept
- 🚀 Smooth gameplay
- 👍 Relaxing and enjoyable experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔥 Excessive ads interrupting gameplay
- 🐛 Crashes and bugs on some devices
- 🔥 Ads longer than levels
- 🔥 Ads even after purchasing ad-free version

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes on launch for some users
- Levels freezing or not loading properly

**Requested features**

- More levels and increased difficulty
- Sandbox mode with more customization options
- Ability to create and share custom levels


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SimplePlanes free?

SimplePlanes costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Light Ignite free?

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

### Which has better reviews, SimplePlanes or Light Ignite?

SimplePlanes is rated higher. SimplePlanes averages 4.6 out of 5 from 3K ratings, while Light Ignite averages 4.5 from 1.1K ratings.

### Do SimplePlanes or Light Ignite have ads?

Light Ignite shows ads; SimplePlanes does not.

### Which is updated more often, SimplePlanes or Light Ignite?

SimplePlanes ships an update every 3 months, and Light Ignite every 10 days. Most recently, SimplePlanes was updated on September 29, 2026 and Light Ignite on September 21, 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.*