# SPL vs Merge Maestro

The clearest difference is price: Merge Maestro at Free against SPL's $2.99. Merge Maestro also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.0) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 11 months). SPL's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On ratings volume, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Merge Maestro is free to download; SPL costs $2.99 up front. Merge Maestro sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. SPL asks for nothing beyond the download.

Merge Maestro holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 125 and 144 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of SPL's written reviews are positive against 91% of Merge Maestro's.

SPL ships an update every 11 months, Merge Maestro every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SPL | Merge Maestro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.0 (125 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spl-t/id1021971213/reviews) | **[4.8 (144 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merge-maestro/id6670491302/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 125 | **144** |
| Positive reviews | 74.9% of reviews | **91.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 89 MB | 94 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Simogo AB](https://appshunter.io/developer/404446783) | [DAVID HS TING](https://appshunter.io/developer/1766514584) |

## What reviewers say

### SPL

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spl-t/id1021971213)

A minimalist puzzle game designed to challenge your intellect. Experience a deceptively simple yet deeply engaging gameplay experience that will test your problem-solving skills.

**Highlights:** Minimalist design, Challenging puzzles, Intellectual gameplay, Engaging experience

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Simple and addictive gameplay
- 👍 Elegant and minimalist design
- 🧠 Surprisingly deep and challenging
- 💡 Hidden features and surprises

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and compatibility issues
- 🔋 Drains battery even when not playing
- 🔇 No option to mute sound effects
- 🤔 Confusing instructions and lack of guidance

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on iPhone X and newer devices
- Game disappears when no more moves are available

**Requested features**

- Restart/reset option
- Leaderboards and achievements
- Ability to save progress
- Option to adjust color scheme


### Merge Maestro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merge-maestro/id6670491302)

Combine hundreds of unique emoji tokens in a puzzle-like, rogue-like experience. Discover creative combinations of tokens and powers to fuse unique strategies and overcome increasingly challenging levels. Enjoy a twist on puzzle, rogue-like, and arcade gameplay.

**Highlights:** Hundreds of unique emoji tokens, Combo-driven gameplay, Puzzle-like rogue-like mechanics, Discover creative token combinations, Fuse unique strategies, Challenging levels

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Access | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Engaging and fun gameplay
- 🚀 Great value for a free-to-play game
- 💡 Unique and creative mechanics
- 👍 Thoughtful game design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes on startup for some users
- 🐛 Issues with medal tracking

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on startup
- Medal tracking issues

**Requested features**

- Endless mode
- UI/text scale options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SPL free?

SPL costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Merge Maestro free?

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

### Which has better reviews, SPL or Merge Maestro?

Merge Maestro is rated higher. SPL averages 4.0 out of 5 from 125 ratings, while Merge Maestro averages 4.8 from 144 ratings.

### Do SPL or Merge Maestro have ads?

Neither SPL nor Merge Maestro shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SPL or Merge Maestro?

SPL ships an update every 11 months, and Merge Maestro every 9 days. Most recently, SPL was updated on November 11, 2026 and Merge Maestro on November 4, 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.*