# Gleam vs Paint Dropper

Gleam and Paint Dropper both sit at 4.3 stars, but that hides the real split: 75% of Gleam's written reviews are positive against 33% of Paint Dropper's. Gleam also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 6 days vs fortnightly). Paint Dropper's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ratings volume (36K vs 3). On price, rating and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Gleam sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Paint Dropper asks for nothing beyond the download.

Paint Dropper holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Paint Dropper has 36K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 75% of Gleam's written reviews are positive against 33% of Paint Dropper's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Gleam ships an update every 6 days, Paint Dropper fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Gleam | Paint Dropper |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gleam-last-light/id1124381015/reviews) | **[4.5 (36K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paint-dropper/id1515850366/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **36K** |
| Positive reviews | **75.0% of reviews** | 32.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 days** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 156 MB | 164 MB |
| Requires iOS | **6.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Hiker Games Joint Stock Company](https://appshunter.io/developer/492037747) | [KAYAC Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/315952203) |

## What reviewers say

### Gleam

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gleam-last-light/id1124381015)

A physics-based puzzle game where you use reflective gems to guide sunlight to the last plant in a post-apocalyptic world. Solve challenging levels with minimal moves to earn a three-star rating and keep hope alive.

**Highlights:** Physics-based puzzle gameplay, Reflective gem mechanics, 40+ levels across 5 environments, Atmospheric music and visuals, Three-star rating system, Casual and hardcore puzzle blend

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Gift To Gleam | $1.99 | one-time |
| Medium Gift To Gleam | $2.99 | one-time |
| Big Gift To Gleam | $4.99 | one-time |
| Giant Gift To Gleam | $9.99 | one-time |


### Paint Dropper

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paint-dropper/id1515850366)

A simple yet challenging puzzle game where players swap colors using a dropper to solve beautiful painting puzzles. Exercise your brain with engaging and visually appealing challenges.

**Highlights:** Color swapping mechanic, Dropper tool, Beautiful painting puzzles, Challenging gameplay, Brain teaser

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and relaxing game
- 💡 Satisfying to complete levels
- 🚀 Game is easy to pick up and play

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤯 Too many ads after every level
- 😩 Levels are too easy and repetitive
- 🐛 Game crashes and lags frequently

**Reported bugs**

- Game freezes when transitioning between levels
- Levels sometimes don't load properly

**Requested features**

- Increase difficulty and complexity of levels
- Reduce frequency of ads
- Add more variety in level designs


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Gleam free?

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

### Is Paint Dropper free?

Paint Dropper is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Gleam or Paint Dropper?

Paint Dropper is rated higher. Gleam averages 4.3 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Paint Dropper averages 4.5 from 36K ratings.

### Do Gleam or Paint Dropper have ads?

Paint Dropper shows ads; Gleam does not.

### Which is updated more often, Gleam or Paint Dropper?

Gleam ships an update every 6 days, and Paint Dropper fortnightly. Most recently, Gleam was updated on October 24, 2026 and Paint Dropper on October 30, 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.*