Comparison

Animal 4D+ vs Merge Explorer

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

Head to head
About

Animal 4D+

Explore animals in augmented reality by scanning printed cards. Witness them come alive in 3D, learn interesting facts, and engage with interactive quizzes. This app offers an unforgettable educational experience for all ages.

Highlights
  • Augmented Reality animal scanning
  • 3D animal models
  • Interactive quizzes
  • Informative animal facts
  • Multi-language support
  • Holographic Mode
Read full description

Updates: - Multi languages: English, Spanish, Turkish, Japanese, Bahasa, Mandarin, Korean, French, Ukrainian, Russian - Holographic Mode - Interactive Quiz - Voice over - Performance Optimization Flashcards are no longer boring with Octagon 4D+. Created by Octagon Studio, Animal 4D+ is a fast and lightweight app that allows you to scan the printed animal cards and witness how the animals come alive right before your eyes! The Animal 4D+ app brings you a new way of seeing animals in Augmented Reality. This gives you an unforgettable experience and will always leave a smile on the faces of children and adults alike.Animal 4D+ gives you both interesting and informative facts about animals through A to Z such as the Ant, Giraffe, Horse, Elephant and Iguana. With the scan option and using the Animal 4D+ cards the animals spring to life. Have a giraffe on the palm of your hand or maybe you’d prefer a lion instead. You can scan a number of cards at once, why not make a zoo out of it. Examine some of these animals up close with the 3D option. This turns that 2D sketch into a 3D moving animation which allows you to spin, turn and zoom in and out of each animal. Open the support link to try our Animal 4D+ card! Minimum Requirements: 1. OS: iOS: 11.0 2. Processor: Qualcomm chipset, 1.2 GHz 3. Ram: 1 GB 4. Camera: 5 MPX 5. Memory card supports Augmented Reality feature 6. Not compatible with Intel Atom processor

About

Merge Explorer

Explore over 100 interactive science simulations using a smartphone and a Merge Cube. Investigate volcanoes, sharks, the solar system, and more with hands-on activities and quizzes. Ideal for K-8 students learning science at school or home.

Highlights
  • Over 100 science simulations
  • Interactive Merge Cube experiences
  • Hands-on learning activities
  • Built-in quizzes
  • NGSS-aligned K-8 curriculum
  • Physical, Life, and Earth/Space Science topics
Features
Read full description

PLEASE NOTE: This app requires a Merge Cube and a smartphone or a tablet to experience. Find out how to get a Merge Cube and learn more at: https://www.MergeCube.com. Students can learn science effectively with over 100 science simulations they can touch, hold and interact with! Merge Explorer (along with a Merge Cube) allows students to investigate a smoking volcano in the palm of their hand, examine a great white shark up close, hold and explore the solar system, dissect a frog (humanely!), and so much more. With easy-to-follow activities and built-in quizzes, students gain key knowledge while immersed in learning, both in the classroom or while remote learning at home. Merge Explorer includes NGSS-aligned topics for K-8th grade, like Physical Science, Life Science, and Earth & Space Science. If you have any questions or suggestions, we want to hear from you! Contact us at any time at support@mergeedu.com. Privacy Policy: https://MergeEdu.com/privacy-policy Terms of Use: https://MergeEdu.com/terms-of-use

Screenshots

Animal 4D+4 screens
Merge Explorer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Merge Explorer at 4.1 against Animal 4D+'s 3.2. Merge Explorer also leads on ratings volume (279 vs 52) and review sentiment (46% vs 37%). Animal 4D+'s advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, ads 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. Merge Explorer sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Animal 4D+ asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Merge Explorer holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Merge Explorer has 279 ratings behind it against 52, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 37% of Animal 4D+'s written reviews are positive against 46% of Merge Explorer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Animal 4D+ ships an update every 5 weeks, Merge Explorer monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Animal 4D+ versus Merge Explorer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAnimal 4D+Merge Explorer
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.2 (52 ratings)4.1 (279 ratings) — better
Positive reviews37.4% of reviews46.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings52279 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size170 MB1.3 GB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOctagon Studio LtdMerge Apps

Customer experience

Animal 4D+

All ratings50 ratings
Positive46.0%
Neutral12.0%
Negative42.0%
Written reviews147 reviews
Positive37.4%
Neutral13.6%
Negative49.0%

Merge Explorer

All ratings279 ratings
Positive76.3%
Neutral7.2%
Negative16.5%
Written reviews65 reviews
Positive46.2%
Neutral10.8%
Negative43.1%

Bugs and requests

Animal 4D+

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Merge Explorer

Reported bugs

13 issues
  • App crashes on iPad
  • App crashes when pressing play
  • Camera not working in app
  • Black screen when using cube or camera
  • VR function broken
Show 8 more
  • VR doesn't work with iPhone XS Max
  • App crashes or loads forever
  • Problems with galactic explore
  • App has trouble recognizing the cube
  • Screen recording only records cube, not overlay
  • Words appear sideways in horizontal mode
  • Content appears incorrectly
  • App crashes

Requested features

9 requests
  • Make the app free to play
  • Add more fun things, not just learning
  • Bring back the fun apps (time bomb, block courses)
  • Allow users to create their own games for the merge cube
  • Add a way to reset quizzes for class sets of devices
Show 4 more
  • Improve functionality for remote teaching, including screen recording
  • Add more content in the future
  • Add dark mode option
  • Add advanced analytics dashboard

In-app purchases

None

Animal 4D+

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Merge Explorer

Subscriptions4
  • Merge EDU Individual14 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Explorer Premium Monthly14 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Merge EDU Individual14 Days trial$99.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Explorer Premium Annual14 Days trial$99.991 Year

Questions

Is Animal 4D+ free?
Animal 4D+ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Merge Explorer free?
Merge Explorer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Animal 4D+ or Merge Explorer?
Merge Explorer is rated higher. Animal 4D+ averages 3.2 out of 5 from 52 ratings, while Merge Explorer averages 4.1 from 279 ratings.
Do Animal 4D+ or Merge Explorer have ads?
Neither Animal 4D+ nor Merge Explorer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Animal 4D+ or Merge Explorer?
Animal 4D+ ships an update every 5 weeks, and Merge Explorer monthly. Most recently, Animal 4D+ was updated on October 24, 2026 and Merge Explorer on October 23, 2026.

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