# Orbit vs Shatterbrain

The clearest difference is update cadence: Orbit at every 2 months against Shatterbrain's every 11 months. Orbit also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.6) and ratings volume (7.6K vs 437). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Orbit sells 7 one-off in-app purchases and Shatterbrain sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Orbit holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Orbit has 7.6K ratings behind it against 437, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 94% of Orbit's written reviews are positive against 86% of Shatterbrain's.

Orbit ships an update every 2 months, Shatterbrain every 11 months. Both last shipped on October 22, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Orbit | Shatterbrain |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (7.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orbit-playing-with-gravity/id991457817/reviews)** | [4.6 (437 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shatterbrain/id1317443919/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **7.6K** | 437 |
| Positive reviews | **94.4% of reviews** | 86.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 11 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 137 MB | 112 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [HIGHKEY Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/1170680369) | [Orbital Nine Games Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/887216732) |

## What reviewers say

### Orbit

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orbit-playing-with-gravity/id991457817)

This app is a meditative physics puzzler where you launch planets to create stable orbits around black holes. Explore a variety of levels, create your own challenges in a sandbox mode, and enjoy a visually artistic and relaxing experience.

**Highlights:** Gravity simulation puzzles, Create stable orbits, Sandbox mode for level creation, Community-created levels, Visual orbital mechanics, Minimalist graphics and relaxing music

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| $1 contribution | $0.99 | one-time |
| Remove ads | $0.99 | one-time |
| $2 contribution | $1.99 | one-time |
| $3 contribution | $2.99 | one-time |
| Orbit Pro | $2.99 | one-time |
| $5 contribution | $4.99 | one-time |
| $10 contribution | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fire game
- 👍 Relaxing and Enjoyable
- 👍 Calming, fun, stimulating, humble
- 👍 Simple and yet complicated
- 👍 Elegant and easy

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 In app purchased not reicevied
- 🐛 Purchase didn't work for sandbox & ad removal but it's fun.
- 🔒 Be ware of your data
- 🐛 Love-hate

**Reported bugs**

- In app purchase not received
- Sandbox mode not working
- Game crashing and unable to open

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Ability to zoom in and out
- Ability to rotate the game to landscape on iPad
- Ability to edit and move existing objects in sandbox mode
- Ability to name planets and add moons


### Shatterbrain

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shatterbrain/id1317443919)

Engage in challenging physics puzzles by drawing shapes to find solutions. Discover multiple ways to solve each level and compete on leaderboards for the best performance. This game is designed for those who enjoy brain teasers and applying physics principles.

**Highlights:** Dozens of physics puzzles, Multiple solutions per puzzle, Leaderboard competition, Draw shapes to solve, Challenging gameplay

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Game | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Relaxing challenge
- 🚀 Elegant and challenging physics-based puzzles
- 👍 Enjoyable and addictive gameplay
- 👍 Stimulates the mind
- 👍 Reasonable ad implementation

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or freezes
- 🔍 Lack of instructions or guidance
- 🔍 Difficulty progressing without 3-starring levels
- 🔍 Some levels too easy or too difficult

**Reported bugs**

- Freezing or crashing on certain levels
- Issues with drawing/controls not registering properly

**Requested features**

- More levels and content updates
- Ability to skip levels without 3 stars
- Customizable hint/solution system


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Orbit free?

Orbit is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Shatterbrain free?

Shatterbrain is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Orbit or Shatterbrain?

Orbit is rated higher. Orbit averages 4.8 out of 5 from 7.6K ratings, while Shatterbrain averages 4.6 from 437 ratings.

### Do Orbit or Shatterbrain have ads?

Both Orbit and Shatterbrain show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Orbit or Shatterbrain?

Orbit ships an update every 2 months, and Shatterbrain every 11 months. Most recently, Orbit was updated on October 22, 2026 and Shatterbrain on October 22, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*