# Polybear vs Merge Safari

The clearest difference is update cadence: Merge Safari at fortnightly against Polybear's every 13 months. Merge Safari also leads on ratings volume (12K vs 68) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). Polybear's advantage is review sentiment (86% vs 74%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Polybear sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Merge Safari sells 9 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Merge Safari holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Merge Safari has 12K ratings behind it against 68, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 86% of Polybear's written reviews are positive against 74% of Merge Safari's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Polybear ships an update every 13 months, Merge Safari fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Polybear | Merge Safari |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (68 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polybear/id1031707235/reviews) | **[4.7 (12K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merge-safari/id1512094153/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 68 | **12K** |
| Positive reviews | **85.9% of reviews** | 74.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 13 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 103 MB | 198 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Naquatic](https://appshunter.io/developer/300409424) | [Super Awesome Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/918383565) |

## What reviewers say

### Polybear

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polybear/id1031707235)

Jump between melting ice floes to escape a rising sea in this addictive one-button endless runner. Collect crystals to unlock unique characters and compete globally for high scores.

**Highlights:** One-button gameplay, Endless runner mechanics, Jump between ice drifts, Collect crystals, Unlock special characters, Global leaderboards

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pile of Crystals | $1.99 | one-time |
| Doubler | $3.99 | one-time |
| Barrel of Crystals | $4.99 | one-time |
| Chest of Crystals | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and enjoyable gameplay
- 🤩 Addictive and engaging
- ✨ Cute animal characters
- 🎶 Good background music
- 💡 Simple and neat concept

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⚠️ Difficult and challenging
- 🐌 Laggy or slow performance
- 😩 Repetitive gameplay
- 😵 Motion sickness inducing
- ❌ Too many ads (contradictory feedback)

**Reported bugs**

- Game lags and crashes
- Graphics are a little lagged
- Reaction times are lagged

**Requested features**

- Add more gameplay variety
- More characters to unlock
- Remove ads entirely
- Free gems


### Merge Safari

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merge-safari/id1512094153)

Merge living things to discover new animals and expand your collection. Decorate a beautiful island paradise filled with diverse creatures to create your unique safari experience.

**Highlights:** Merge living things, Collect various animals, Decorate your island, Create a unique safari, Discover new creatures

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Gem 1000 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Gem 5000 | $4.99 | one-time |
| VIP PACKAGE | $4.99 | one-time |
| FAIRY PASS | $4.99 | one-time |
| Gem 12000 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Fantastic Animal Box 10 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Gem 30000 | $19.99 | one-time |
| Fantastic Animal Box 46 | $19.99 | one-time |
| Gem 100000 | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Cute and relaxing graphics
- 🐯 Wide variety of animals
- 🕹️ Simple and easy to play
- 🔓 Offline gameplay
- ⏱️ Addictive and engaging

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
- 📺 Excessive ads
- 🔁 Repetitive gameplay
- 🔒 Limited customization options
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes

**Reported bugs**

- Scheduled updates not arriving
- Purchased VIP features not working as expected
- Animals getting stuck or not moving properly

**Requested features**

- Add more animal species
- Introduce new gameplay modes
- Allow zooming and panning on the island
- Implement a way to name or customize animals
- Reduce the frequency and duration of ads


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Polybear free?

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

### Is Merge Safari free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Polybear or Merge Safari?

Merge Safari is rated higher. Polybear averages 4.5 out of 5 from 68 ratings, while Merge Safari averages 4.7 from 12K ratings.

### Do Polybear or Merge Safari have ads?

Both Polybear and Merge Safari show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Polybear or Merge Safari?

Polybear ships an update every 13 months, and Merge Safari fortnightly. Most recently, Polybear was updated on October 21, 2026 and Merge Safari on October 28, 2026.

---

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