Google Cardboard vs View with 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.
View with AR
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Experience augmented reality! Try out a selection of augmented reality experiences, including face filters and world tracking.
Screenshots
Verdict
Google Cardboard and View with AR are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
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.
Google Cardboard ships an update every 3 months, View with AR every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Google Cardboard | View with AR |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.8 (680 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 26.6% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 680 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 60 MB | 25 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Zappar Limited | |
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
View with AR
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Google Cardboard
No in-app purchases
View with AR
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Google Cardboard free?
Is View with AR free?
Do Google Cardboard or View with AR have ads?
Which is updated more often, Google Cardboard or View with AR?
Other comparisons
