Google Cardboard vs Audio Buttons
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.
Audio Buttons
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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
Verdict
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
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.
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.
| Parameter | Google Cardboard | Audio Buttons |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $3.99 |
| Rating | 2.7 (682 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 26.6% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 682 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 60 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | ERIK 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
Google Cardboard
No in-app purchases
Audio Buttons
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Google Cardboard free?
Is Audio Buttons free?
Do Google Cardboard or Audio Buttons have ads?
Which is updated more often, Google Cardboard or Audio Buttons?
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