Comparison

Google Cardboard vs Audio Buttons

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • VR viewer setup
  • Introductory VR experiences
  • iPhone compatibility
  • Cardboard viewer integration
Read full description

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.

About

Audio Buttons

Read full description

Audio Buttons is the playback device for the set — big buttons, straight to the point, no menus. The case it was built for: a phone call between two actors shot on two days. Record one side's lines on day one, play them to the other side on day two. The sound comes the moment you press. • Record with one tap — tap an empty button, that's it • Play with one tap — the tile fills up as it plays • One set per scene, as many as the shooting day has • Names and colors, so you hit the right one in the dark • Your PDF beside the pads in landscape — the marked line is the button • Lift quiet recordings until they carry on set • Trim the silence off the start so the cue lands • Find a spot in a recording and listen from there • Import and share audio (mp3, m4a, wav, aiff) • iPhone and iPad stay in step over iCloud • German and English, switchable inside the app No sign-in, no ads, no subscription.

Screenshots

Google Cardboard4 screens
Audio Buttons4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Google Cardboard at Free against Audio Buttons's $3.99. Google Cardboard also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Audio Buttons's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months). On 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

Google Cardboard is free to download; Audio Buttons costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Google Cardboard ships an update every 3 months, Audio Buttons weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Google Cardboard versus Audio Buttons: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGoogle CardboardAudio Buttons
PriceFree — better$3.99
Rating2.7 (682 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews26.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings682 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size60 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGoogleERIK HAFFNER

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

Audio Buttons

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Google Cardboard

No in-app purchases

None

Audio Buttons

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Google Cardboard free?
Google Cardboard is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Audio Buttons free?
Audio Buttons costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Google Cardboard or Audio Buttons have ads?
Neither Google Cardboard nor Audio Buttons shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Google Cardboard or Audio Buttons?
Google Cardboard ships an update every 3 months, and Audio Buttons weekly. Most recently, Google Cardboard was updated on October 31, 2026 and Audio Buttons on October 3, 2026.

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