# Blackbox vs Orbit

The clearest difference is update cadence: Blackbox at every 9 days against Orbit's every 2 months. Blackbox also leads on ratings volume (109K vs 7.6K) and chart position (#33 vs unranked). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Blackbox sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Orbit sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Blackbox against 4.8 for Orbit. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Blackbox has 109K ratings behind it against 7.6K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 93% of Blackbox's written reviews are positive against 94% of Orbit's.

Blackbox ships an update every 9 days, Orbit every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Blackbox | Orbit |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (109K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blackbox/id962969578/reviews) | [4.8 (7.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orbit-playing-with-gravity/id991457817/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **109K** | 7.6K |
| Positive reviews | 92.6% of reviews | **94.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#33** | — |
| Size | 209 MB | 130 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shapes and Stories LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/962969577) | [HIGHKEY Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/1170680369) |

## What reviewers say

### Blackbox

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blackbox/id962969578)

**Currently charting:** #33 Top Free · Trivia, #85 Top Grossing · Trivia (US App Store)

This puzzle game challenges you to solve intricate problems without touching the screen. It utilizes minimalistic visual cues, sonic interfaces, and haptic feedback to guide you through unique challenges that require thinking outside the box. Discover a new way to interact with your device and prove your cleverness.

**Highlights:** Touchless gameplay, Minimalistic visual clues, Sonic interfaces, Haptic feedback, External puzzle solving, Easter eggs

**Features:** Family Sharing, iMessage stickers

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tiny Hint Pack | $1.19 | one-time |
| Small Hint Pack | $2.39 | one-time |
| Erudite Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Push Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Coffee for Ryan | $4.49 | one-time |
| Basic Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Medium Hint Pack | $5.00 | one-time |
| All Knowing Pack | $7.99 | one-time |
| Large Hint Pack | $10.00 | one-time |
| Extra Large Hint Pack | $20.00 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Unique and creative gameplay
- 🤔 Challenges users to think outside the box
- 😄 Humorous and witty comments
- 🔑 Utilizes phone features in innovative ways

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤯 Extremely challenging puzzles
- 💰 Expensive for additional content
- 🤖 Concerns about app accessing device permissions
- 🚗 Puzzles requiring travel/location are inaccessible for some

**Reported bugs**

- Hints not working as expected
- Progress reset after app update

**Requested features**

- Add ability to earn hint credits through watching ads
- Include more free puzzles
- Improve accessibility for users with limited mobility
- Provide better guidance and instructions for puzzles


### Orbit

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orbit-playing-with-gravity/id991457817)

This app is a meditative physics puzzler where you launch planets to create stable orbits around black holes. Explore a variety of levels, create your own challenges in a sandbox mode, and enjoy a visually artistic and relaxing experience.

**Highlights:** Gravity simulation puzzles, Create stable orbits, Sandbox mode for level creation, Community-created levels, Visual orbital mechanics, Minimalist graphics and relaxing music

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| $1 contribution | $0.99 | one-time |
| Remove ads | $0.99 | one-time |
| $2 contribution | $1.99 | one-time |
| $3 contribution | $2.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Sandbox (and remove ads) | $2.99 | one-time |
| $5 contribution | $4.99 | one-time |
| $10 contribution | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fire game
- 👍 Relaxing and Enjoyable
- 👍 Calming, fun, stimulating, humble
- 👍 Simple and yet complicated
- 👍 Elegant and easy

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 In app purchased not reicevied
- 🐛 Purchase didn't work for sandbox & ad removal but it's fun.
- 🔒 Be ware of your data
- 🐛 Love-hate

**Reported bugs**

- In app purchase not received
- Sandbox mode not working
- Game crashing and unable to open

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Ability to zoom in and out
- Ability to rotate the game to landscape on iPad
- Ability to edit and move existing objects in sandbox mode
- Ability to name planets and add moons


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Blackbox free?

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

### Is Orbit free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Blackbox or Orbit?

Blackbox and Orbit are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 109K and 7.6K ratings respectively.

### Do Blackbox or Orbit have ads?

Neither Blackbox nor Orbit shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Blackbox or Orbit?

Blackbox ships an update every 9 days, and Orbit every 2 months. Most recently, Blackbox was updated on October 1, 2026 and Orbit on September 30, 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.*