BEAKER by THIX vs Physics Lab AR
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
BEAKER by THIX
Explore a virtual laboratory with 150 chemicals. Mix, heat, and shake substances to observe reactions. Collaborate with friends using AirMix™ for shared experiments. Additional tools enhance complex operations.
- Virtual lab with 150 chemicals
- Interactive mixing, heating, and shaking
- Real-time chemical reactions
- Multiplayer via AirMix™
- Additional experimental tools
- Simulated ignition and boiling
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Explore 150 chemicals in a virtual lab in the BEAKER app. Add in chemicals, heat it up, and shake your device to start reactions. Pour them out to clean it up. Or team up with your friends to pour chemicals between each other via AirMix™. Use virtual Match, Lid and Burner to assist your experiment. Or get the extra five tools - Blender, Cooler, Separator, Filter and Meter to do even more complex operations. Start (tap or hold on chemicals to add) - CaO + H2O - K + H2O (fire) - Na + H2O (fire) - Al + Br2 (fire) Ignite (swipe your finger and hold, like striking a match) - Ignite Mg, C, Al - Ignite H2 + O2 (explosion) Heat Up (swipe in from the lower right corner to turn on Burner) - Boil Water (H2O) - Heat Fe + HNO3 (color transformation) Shake (shake to accelerate reactions) - CuSO4 + H2O + Mg (color transformation) - AgNO3 + H2O + Cu (precipitation) - AgNO3 + H2O + NaCl (precipitation) AirMix* (nearby BEAKERs will pair automatically) - Pour Na into Cl2 (fire) - Pour CH3COOH into NaHCO3 + Blue (bubbles) - Pour NaCl + H2O into AgNO3 + H2O (precipitation) * AirMix requires an Internet connection and geolocation services. If any chemicals or reactions are missing, please contact us at support@thixlab.com. Your suggestions are greatly valuable to us. Learn More http://thixlab.com/beaker.html Follow Us Facebook: http://facebook.com/thixlab Twitter: @thixlab
Physics Lab AR
Explore physics through interactive virtual experiments and augmented reality. Build and test electrical circuits with over 100 components, visualize electromagnetic fields, and even design your own galaxy. Ideal for students, teachers, and curious minds of all ages.
- Virtual lab with AR mode
- Build 3D electric circuits
- 100+ circuit components
- Precise scientific calculations
- Electromagnetic field visualization
- Design custom galaxies
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Are you a curious student eager to explore deeper into the physics world? Are you a science enthusiast who wants to share your ideas with others? Are you an adventurer bounded by textbook instructions and budget limits? Are you a romantic dreaming of having your own customized galaxy? Are you a teacher who wants to use fun and interactive demonstrations in your physics lessons? Learn science by doing experiments in your virtual lab with Physics Lab. With our new AR mode, you can even bring your experiments to life! In Physics Lab, you can play with various circuit components, build your own 3D electric circuits, and see how they work in real time. With 100+ circuit components to choose from (and more coming soon), the possibilities are endless. Plus, all of our experiments are backed by science and calculated with precise numbers, so you can learn and have fun at the same time. Physics Lab is not only for students, but for teachers too! Use it to demonstrate experiments in class, and help your students learn and explore in a new way. And because it's virtual, you don't have to worry about expensive lab equipment or safety concerns. Explore with freedom - Pick from 100+ circuit components (more coming!) - Drag them from the toolbox to the virtual desk and connect them the way you like - All experiment results are backed by science and calculated in precise numbers - Design your own galaxy or load from our solar system - Electromagnetic experiments with field line visualization Better than real life - Set properties of circuit components to different figures and observe changes of behavior and stats in real time - One-click to turn what you have built into an editable circuit diagram and vice versa - No expenses on lab equipments, no worry about safety issues A lab for everyone - Teachers have been using Physics Lab to demonstrate experiments and assist teaching in class - Students, in primary or high schools, can learn science and explore freely anywhere, anytime - Kids or not, curious minds now have their own virtual lab to learn knowledge by doing experiments Whether you're a teacher, student, or just someone who loves learning about physics, Physics Lab has something for everyone. Connect with us and let us know what you think, and check out our subscription options to access even more experiments and components. We can't wait to see what you create! Email: turtlesim@u.northwestern.edu =========================== Concerning Component Subscription During your subscription period, you will have access to all paid components for free, including future ones. 1) Subscription periods are one month long and will be charged to your iTunes Account at the time of purchase. 2) Your subscription is linked to your Physics Lab account. 3) You will be charged for renewals 24 hours before the end of the current period, and will be notified of the cost. 4) You can manage your subscriptions at any time in your Account Settings. 5) By purchasing a subscription, you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Terms of Use: https://static.turtlesim.com/products/Term-Of-Use.txt Privacy Policy: https://static.turtlesim.com/products/Privacy-Policy.txt
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Physics Lab AR at Free against BEAKER by THIX's $0.99. Physics Lab AR also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.9) and ratings volume (1.8K vs 283). BEAKER by THIX's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). On review sentiment, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
Physics Lab AR is free to download; BEAKER by THIX costs $0.99 up front. BEAKER by THIX sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Physics Lab AR sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Physics Lab AR holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Physics Lab AR has 1.8K ratings behind it against 283, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 51% of BEAKER by THIX's written reviews are positive against 47% of Physics Lab AR's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | BEAKER by THIX | Physics Lab AR |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 3.9 (283 ratings) | 4.7 (1.8K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 50.8% of reviews — better | 47.1% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 283 | 1.8K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 56 MB | 177 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | THIX LLC | Turtle Sim LLC |
Customer experience
BEAKER by THIX
Physics Lab AR
User reviews
BEAKER by THIX
From 283 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Great for experimenting
- 👍 Realistic reactions
- 💡 Useful for learning chemistry
Room to improve
- 🐛 Crashes and bugs
- 🔒 Paywall for basic features
- 🔋 Performance issues on some devices
Physics Lab AR
From 1.8K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Nice app
- 🚀 Awesome app
- 💡 Good app idea
- 👍 Helpful for learning
- 👍 Useful for teachers
Room to improve
- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🐛 Unstable app
- 🐛 Buggy app
- 🐛 App doesn't work
- 🔧 Needs improvements
Bugs and requests
BEAKER by THIX
Reported bugs
4 issues- Liquids and solids behaving unrealistically
- Crashes when mixing certain chemicals
- AirMix not working as advertised
- UI elements disappearing or malfunctioning
Requested features
5 requests- Add more elements and compounds
- Improve accuracy of chemical reactions
- Implement a periodic table view
- Add support for exothermic/endothermic reactions
- Improve AirMix functionality
Physics Lab AR
Reported bugs
5 issues- App crashes when opening experiments or circuits
- Wires don't attach properly
- Objects fall through the table
- Camera position issues
- App freezes or becomes unresponsive
Requested features
6 requests- Add more components like transistors and potentiometers
- Improve camera controls and view options
- Implement saving and loading of circuits
- Add more tutorials and explanations
- Support for Vietnamese and other languages
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Improve stability and reduce crashes
In-app purchases
BEAKER by THIX
- All ToolsFree
Physics Lab AR
- Monthly Component Subscription$1.491 Month
- 60 Diamonds$0.99
- 10 Diamonds$0.99
- 120 Diamonds$1.99
Show 3 moreShow fewer
- 300 Diamonds$4.99
- 680 Diamonds$9.99
- 1280 Diamonds$19.99
Questions
Is BEAKER by THIX free?
Is Physics Lab AR free?
Which has better reviews, BEAKER by THIX or Physics Lab AR?
Do BEAKER by THIX or Physics Lab AR have ads?
Which is updated more often, BEAKER by THIX or Physics Lab AR?
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