Google Cardboard vs Ugears AR
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Google Cardboard
Experience virtual reality on your iPhone. This app guides you through setting up a compatible viewer and offers initial immersive experiences to explore.
- VR viewer setup
- Introductory VR experiences
- iPhone compatibility
- Cardboard viewer integration
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Cardboard puts virtual reality on your iPhone. The Google Cardboard app helps you set up a Cardboard viewer and includes a few experiences to get you started. To fully enjoy this app you'll need a Cardboard viewer. Learn more and get your own Cardboard viewer at http://g.co/cardboard. Do not use this app while driving, walking, or otherwise by being distracted or disoriented from real world situations that prevent you from obeying traffic or safety laws.
Ugears AR
Experience intricate 3D wooden puzzles in augmented reality. Bring detailed models to life on any flat surface, collect virtual creations, and impress friends with immersive AR technology.
- Augmented reality technology
- Scan unique 3D puzzles
- View models on flat surfaces
- Collect virtual 3D models
- Interactive AR experience
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Ugears AR is a free mobile application where we use augmented reality technology. With this application, you can scan unique 3D puzzles created by a well-known manufacturer of high quality UGears plywood. You can view your favorite gears using AR technology right on your desk, floor or other flat surfaces. Collect virtual 3D models and surprise your friends with the magic of augmented reality.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Ugears AR at 3.2 against Google Cardboard's 2.7. Ugears AR also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Google Cardboard's advantage is ratings volume (678 vs 11) and review sentiment (27% vs 13%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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.
Ugears AR holds the better App Store score, 3.2 against 2.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Google Cardboard has 678 ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 27% of Google Cardboard's written reviews are positive against 13% of Ugears AR's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Google Cardboard ships an update every 3 months, Ugears AR monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Google Cardboard | Ugears AR |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.7 (678 ratings) | 3.2 (11 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 26.6% of reviews — better | 13.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 678 — better | 11 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 60 MB | 263 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Google LLC | Live Animations Corp. |
Customer experience
Google Cardboard
Ugears AR
Bugs and requests
Google Cardboard
Reported bugs
3 issues- Constant spinning/shaking on some devices
- Crashes and freezes on launch
- Incompatibility with certain VR headsets
Requested features
4 requests- More VR games and interactive experiences
- Ability to view own photos/videos in VR
- Support for newer iOS versions
- Improved navigation and controls
Ugears AR
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Google Cardboard
No in-app purchases
Ugears AR
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Google Cardboard free?
Is Ugears AR free?
Which has better reviews, Google Cardboard or Ugears AR?
Do Google Cardboard or Ugears AR have ads?
Which is updated more often, Google Cardboard or Ugears AR?
Other comparisons
