Earth Editor vs Sand Trace
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- World creation sandbox
- Gravity field simulation
- Place sand, water, seeds, lava
- Creative planetary design
- Element interaction
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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!
Sand Trace
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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
Verdict
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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
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.
| Parameter | Earth Editor | Sand Trace |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (919 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 78.8% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 919 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 4 MB | 22 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | DAN-BALL | HSIANG-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
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- 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
Earth Editor
No in-app purchases
Sand Trace
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Earth Editor free?
Is Sand Trace free?
Do Earth Editor or Sand Trace have ads?
Which is updated more often, Earth Editor or Sand Trace?
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