# Real Magic vs Playground AR

The clearest difference is rating: Real Magic at 4.6 against Playground AR's 3.9. Real Magic also leads on review sentiment (84% vs 66%) and ratings volume (311 vs 16). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Real Magic sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Playground AR sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Real Magic holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Real Magic has 311 ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 84% of Real Magic's written reviews are positive against 66% of Playground AR's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Real Magic | Playground AR |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (311 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/real-magic/id991725788/reviews)** | [3.9 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/playground-ar-physics-sandbox/id1305282341/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **311** | 16 |
| Positive reviews | **84.2% of reviews** | 65.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 15 MB | 133 MB |
| Requires iOS | **6.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Xiaoxiaoniu Creative Technologies](https://appshunter.io/developer/991725787) | [Marc Sureda](https://appshunter.io/developer/657241759) |

## What reviewers say

### Real Magic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/real-magic/id991725788)

Transform into a wizard or fairy and cast spells using augmented reality. This app uses advanced motion sensing to interpret your hand and finger movements, creating unique magical effects in real-time. Capture and share your magical moments with friends.

**Highlights:** Augmented reality spell casting, Motion sensing hand gesture recognition, Customizable magic effects, Front and back camera support, Snapshot capture

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Elf Magic | $0.99 | one-time |
| Dark Magic | $0.99 | one-time |
| Phoenix Magic | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Impressive and unique magic effects
- 👍 Cool and fun to use
- 🤩 Augmented reality features are amazing
- 🤝 Good for surprising friends and kids
- 🧙‍♂️ Like Harry Potter meets Kinect

**What reviewers complain about**

- 😴 Boring gameplay with limited interaction
- 💸 Requires payment for more magic types
- 🐌 App runs too slow and lags
- 💥 Crashes upon opening
- 📉 Locked up after loading once

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes upon opening
- Locks up after loading once
- Lagging and slow performance

**Requested features**

- Add video recording option for movie making
- Include more magic types like lightning, earth, and water
- Fix crashing at start problem


### Playground AR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/playground-ar-physics-sandbox/id1305282341)

Transform your space into an augmented reality physics sandbox. Build intricate structures, design functional machines, and unleash epic destruction with realistic physics. Play with friends in real-time and capture your creations.

**Highlights:** Augmented reality physics sandbox, Infinite construction with diverse blocks, Design functional machines with joints and wheels, Realistic physics simulations, Control RC vehicles, Multiplayer and social sharing, In-game screenshot tool

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Blocks | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Amazing AR experience
- 🎮 Fun sandbox gameplay
- 🔥 Great physics engine
- 💫 Impressive AR detection
- 👍 Intuitive controls

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional glitches and bugs
- 🔍 Difficulty in surface detection
- 🤖 Limited NPC/character options
- 🔒 Locked content behind ads
- 🔀 Multiplayer functionality not working

**Reported bugs**

- Devices unable to detect surfaces properly
- Saved creations not persisting across sessions
- Controls for vehicles/devices not intuitive
- Occasional freezing and crashing of the app
- Incompatibility issues with certain device models

**Requested features**

- Add human/character models to interact with
- Implement liquids and more environmental elements
- Introduce terraforming and customizable terrain
- Provide more building/creation tools and options
- Enable seamless multiplayer and sharing of creations


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Real Magic free?

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

### Is Playground AR free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Real Magic or Playground AR?

Real Magic is rated higher. Real Magic averages 4.6 out of 5 from 311 ratings, while Playground AR averages 3.9 from 16 ratings.

### Do Real Magic or Playground AR have ads?

Neither Real Magic nor Playground AR shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Real Magic or Playground AR?

Real Magic ships an update every 3 weeks, and Playground AR every 3 weeks. Most recently, Real Magic was updated on October 24, 2026 and Playground AR on October 21, 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.*