Comparison

Magic River vs PinOut!

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

Head to head
About

Magic River

Navigate a boat down a river, avoiding obstacles and exploring various locations. Collect gems to unlock new characters and boats. Simple tap controls change the boat's direction.

Highlights
  • River navigation
  • Obstacle avoidance
  • Location exploration
  • Gem collection
  • Character unlocks
  • Boat customization
Features
Read full description

Move through the river without hitting any obstacles! Explore different locations while drifting down the river! Collect gems to unlock awesome new characters and boats! Tap anywhere on the screen to change the direction of the boat.

About

PinOut!

Experience a reimagined pinball adventure with a continuous journey through a vibrant, retro-wave world. Race against the clock in this arcade-style game, offering a unique twist on classic pinball mechanics.

Highlights
  • Continuous journey gameplay
  • Retro wave aesthetic
  • Pulsating lights and beats
  • Remodeled pinball mechanics
  • Arcade experience
Features
Read full description

Pinball reinvented by the award-winning developers of Smash Hit and Does not Commute! Race against time in a continuous journey through this mysterious canyon of pulsating lights and throbbing retro wave beats. The classic pinball mechanic remodeled into a breathtaking arcade experience. "PinOut is a super smart, beautifully designed pinball game" – Wired "Stop everything and play PinOut" – EuroGamer "It's not pinball in the traditional sense – it's something so much better" – PocketGamer "This is a hugely compelling mobile ball-smacker that deserves to be played by many, many people" – Stuff magazine PinOut is playable at no cost and free from ads. An optional premium upgrade is available through a one-time in-app purchase that will enable the ability to continue from checkpoints.

Screenshots

Magic River4 screens
PinOut!4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: PinOut! at 4.2 against Magic River's 3.2. PinOut! also leads on review sentiment (67% vs 33%) and ratings volume (7.1K vs 196). Magic River's advantage is iOS requirement (6.0 vs 13.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

Both are free to download. Magic River sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and PinOut! sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

PinOut! holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PinOut! has 7.1K ratings behind it against 196, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 33% of Magic River's written reviews are positive against 67% of PinOut!'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Magic River ships an update monthly, PinOut! every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Magic River versus PinOut!: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMagic RiverPinOut!
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.2 (196 ratings)4.2 (7.1K ratings) — better
Positive reviews32.9% of reviews67.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1967.1K — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS6.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size182 MB81 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKetchappMediocre AB

Customer experience

Magic River

All ratings196 ratings
Positive45.4%
Neutral13.8%
Negative40.8%
Written reviews222 reviews
Positive32.9%
Neutral16.2%
Negative50.9%

PinOut!

All ratings7,107 ratings
Positive77.4%
Neutral7.0%
Negative15.6%
Written reviews1,417 reviews
Positive67.3%
Neutral11.6%
Negative21.2%

User reviews

Magic River

From 196 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎨 Beautiful graphics
  • 🕹️ Addictive gameplay
  • 💎 Fun and challenging

Room to improve

  • 🌀 Ads disrupt gameplay
  • 🐛 Glitchy controls
  • 🕰️ Repetitive scenery

PinOut!

From 7.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎨 Stunning visuals and graphics
  • 🎶 Excellent soundtrack and audio
  • 🕹️ Unique and addictive gameplay
  • 👍 No ads or intrusive monetization

Room to improve

  • 🕰️ Short game length with limited levels
  • 🤔 Inconsistent and frustrating physics/controls
  • 💰 Paywall to access checkpoints and progress

Bugs and requests

Magic River

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Game crashes frequently
  • Boat movement not responsive
  • Leaderboard not updating properly

Requested features

3 requests
  • Ability to skip difficult missions
  • More varied environments and obstacles
  • Option to disable ads for a fee

PinOut!

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Ball getting stuck in certain areas
  • Crashes and freezes on some devices
  • Compatibility issues with newer iPhone models

Requested features

4 requests
  • More levels and content
  • Endless/infinite mode without time limit
  • Improved physics and control responsiveness
  • Ability to save progress and continue from checkpoints

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Magic River

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$1.99
1 purchases

PinOut!

One-time1
  • PinOut Premium$2.99

Questions

Is Magic River free?
Magic River is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PinOut! free?
PinOut! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Magic River or PinOut!?
PinOut! is rated higher. Magic River averages 3.2 out of 5 from 196 ratings, while PinOut! averages 4.2 from 7.1K ratings.
Do Magic River or PinOut! have ads?
Neither Magic River nor PinOut! shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Magic River or PinOut!?
Magic River ships an update monthly, and PinOut! every 2 weeks. Most recently, Magic River was updated on October 4, 2026 and PinOut! on October 14, 2026.

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