Comparison

Earth Editor vs Sand Trace

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

Head to head
About

Earth Editor

Create your own world by placing various elements like sand, water, and lava on a gravity field. This simulation game allows for boundless creativity in designing unique planetary landscapes. Explore the possibilities of a sandbox environment where you are the architect of your own planet.

Highlights
  • World creation sandbox
  • Gravity field simulation
  • Place sand, water, seeds, lava
  • Creative planetary design
  • Element interaction
Features
Read full description

This game is the 21st iOS game for the Web game site "DAN-BALL". A simulation game that creates the Earth using various dots on the field of gravity. There are various dots of sand, water, seeds, lava, and more. Be creative. It's up to you!

About

Sand Trace

Features
Read full description

Drop sand, pour water, ignite fire, and watch real physics come to life. Sand Trace is a pixel-art physics simulator where you paint with 16 different materials and watch them interact in surprising ways. WHAT YOU CAN CREATE - Drop sand, stone, and glass to build structures - Pour water, oil, and acid to watch fluids flow - Ignite wood, oil, and plants to set off massive fires - Spawn lava to melt ice and turn water to stone - Launch missiles and detonate explosives for chain reactions - Electrify water with lightning bolts - Grow forests by placing plants near water - Heat sand into glass for permanent structures 16 MATERIALS, 40+ INTERACTIONS Every material has unique physics. Sand falls and piles up. Water flows and extinguishes fire. Lava melts ice and hardens into stone. Acid corrodes nearly everything. Lightning electrifies water in a spreading chain. Oil floats on water and burns with thick smoke. Plants grow toward water and catch fire easily. Discover every interaction through experimentation. PIXEL-ART WORLD Watch your creations come alive in a crisp, retro-style pixel grid. Every grain of sand, every drop of water, and every spark of fire is simulated individually for a satisfying, tactile experience. PRESET SCENES Jump right in with 5 handcrafted scenes: - Volcano: Watch lava flow and interact with water - Rain: Peaceful rainfall on a landscape - Acid Rain: Destructive downpour that corrodes everything - Forest Fire: A blazing wildfire spreading through trees - Aquarium: A tranquil underwater scene SAVE, RECORD, SHARE - Save and load your creations anytime - Record MP4 videos of your simulations - Take screenshots to share your pixel-art worlds - Works on both iPhone and iPad with responsive layout Download Sand Trace today and start experimenting with physics.

Screenshots

Earth Editor3 screens
Sand Trace4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Sand Trace at fortnightly against Earth Editor's every 4 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Earth Editor ships an update every 4 months, Sand Trace fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Earth Editor versus Sand Trace: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEarth EditorSand Trace
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (919 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews78.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings919 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supported—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.013.0
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB22 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDAN-BALLHSIANG-YU HUANG

Bugs and requests

Earth Editor

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Black holes causing glitches
  • Ice not freezing water properly
  • Cloned elements not behaving as expected

Requested features

8 requests
  • More elements and materials to experiment with
  • Ability to save multiple worlds
  • Zoom and camera controls
  • Realistic physics and behaviors (e.g. sand sinking in water)
  • Ability to create life, animals, or civilizations
Show 3 more
  • Supernova and star effects
  • Atmosphere and weather systems
  • Ability to move immobile objects

Sand Trace

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Earth Editor

No in-app purchases

None

Sand Trace

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Earth Editor free?
Earth Editor is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Sand Trace free?
Sand Trace is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Earth Editor or Sand Trace have ads?
Both Earth Editor and Sand Trace show ads.
Which is updated more often, Earth Editor or Sand Trace?
Earth Editor ships an update every 4 months, and Sand Trace fortnightly. Most recently, Earth Editor was updated on October 9, 2026 and Sand Trace on October 2, 2026.

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