Flow Free vs Shade Shift!
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Flow Free
Connect matching colored pipes on a hexagonal grid to create a flow. Solve puzzles by pairing all colors and covering the entire board without pipes crossing. Offers hundreds of levels and daily challenges for a relaxing or timed experience.
- Hexagonal grid puzzles
- Connect matching colors
- Hundreds of free levels
- Daily puzzles
- Time Trial mode
- Game Center achievements
- Cloud sync
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Hexes! The next evolution of Flow Free®! If you like Flow Free, you'll love Flow Free: Hexes®! Connect matching colors with pipe to create a Flow®. Pair all colors, and cover the entire board to solve each puzzle. But watch out, pipes will break if they cross or overlap! Free play through hundreds of levels, or race against the clock in Time Trial mode. Gameplay ranges from simple and relaxed, to challenging and frenetic, and everywhere in between. How you play is up to you. So, give Flow Free: Hexes a try, and experience "mind like water"! Flow Free: Hexes features: * Over 2,500 free, hexagonal puzzles! * Daily puzzles: new levels every day, never run out * Carefully crafted, high-quality puzzles ranging from easy to extreme! * Optimized touch controls for smooth, satisfying play * Game Center achievements and cloud sync of your progress * Clean, colorful graphics and fun sound effects Enjoy!
Shade Shift!
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Shade Shift is a simple, addictive puzzle game that tests your color perception. Find the odd tile before the grid grows and the differences get harder to see.Can you spot the tile that's a different shade?
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Shade Shift! at none against Flow Free's 11. Shade Shift! also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 months). Flow Free's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.6). On price, ads and device support 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
Both are free to download. Flow Free sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. Shade Shift! asks for nothing beyond the download.
Flow Free ships an update every 5 months, Shade Shift! every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Flow Free | Shade Shift! |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (10K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 83.8% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 10K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 18.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 66 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Big Duck Games LLC | Vinod Ralh |
Bugs and requests
Flow Free
Reported bugs
3 issues- Hints using themselves randomly
- Freezing and crashing issues
- Ads causing performance issues
Requested features
4 requests- More new and unique puzzle packs
- Ability to disable animations
- Leaderboards and competitive modes
- Increased difficulty options
Shade Shift!
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Flow Free
- 5 Hints$0.99
- Unlock All Themes$1.99
- Classic Pack 2$1.99
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- 10x10 Mania$1.99
- Jumbo Pack 2$1.99
- Kids Pack$1.99
- Starter Bundle$1.99
- 11x11 Mania$1.99
- 20 Hints$2.99
- Unlock All Packs and Remove Ads$4.99
- 100 Hints$9.99
Shade Shift!
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Flow Free free?
Is Shade Shift! free?
Do Flow Free or Shade Shift! have ads?
Which is updated more often, Flow Free or Shade Shift!?
Other comparisons
