# BOXD vs Exponential Idle

The clearest difference is ads: BOXD at none against Exponential Idle's shown. Exponential Idle's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.5) and ratings volume (4.1K vs 68). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. BOXD sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and Exponential Idle sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Exponential Idle holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Exponential Idle has 4.1K ratings behind it against 68, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of BOXD's written reviews are positive against 92% of Exponential Idle's.

BOXD ships an update every 2 weeks, Exponential Idle every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 3, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BOXD | Exponential Idle |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (68 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boxd-without-the-e/id1150589843/reviews) | **[4.9 (4.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/exponential-idle/id1538487382/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 68 | **4.1K** |
| Positive reviews | 69.8% of reviews | **91.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 25 MB | 95 MB |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 | **8.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [PIXELCUBE STUDIOS INC.](https://appshunter.io/developer/325955447) | [Gilles-Philippe Paille](https://appshunter.io/developer/1538487384) |

## What reviewers say

### BOXD

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boxd-without-the-e/id1150589843)

Merge and evolve cardboard boxes to discover over 100 unique designs. Build a box company from humble beginnings to a multimillion-dollar enterprise. Utilize offline production and compete with friends to maximize earnings.

**Highlights:** Fuse boxes to discover new ones, Collect over 100 unique boxes, Prestige for Rainbow Boxes, Offline production for earnings, Compete with friends via leaderboards

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Money Doubler | $0.99 | one-time |
| Open Piggy Bank | $2.99 | one-time |
| Offline Production | $4.99 | one-time |
| Crate of BOXD Money | $4.99 | one-time |
| Truck of BOXD Money | $9.99 | one-time |
| Cargo Ship of BOXD Money | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Addictive and fun
- 👍 Great time-killer
- 🎨 Visually appealing
- 💡 Frequent updates

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- 💰 Expensive upgrades
- 🔋 Offline progress issues
- 🔇 No music/sound controls

**Reported bugs**

- Video boost not working
- Boxes disappearing after merging
- Upgrade issues with timed events
- Frequent crashes and freezes

**Requested features**

- More upgrade options
- Prestige/progression system
- Automatic box combining
- Ability to rearrange boxes
- More box types and content


### Exponential Idle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/exponential-idle/id1538487382)

Engage in a math-inspired incremental game where you strategically stack virtual money through exponential growth. Advance through time, make variable changes, and purchase upgrades to accelerate your earnings and unlock achievements.

**Highlights:** Exponential growth mechanics, Time progression, Change of variables, Buy upgrades, Earn virtual money, Unlock achievements

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Donate | $0.99 | one-time |
| Permanent Ad Reward | $1.99 | one-time |
| Donate | $1.99 | one-time |
| Donate | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great and addicting game
- 👍 Interesting story and educational
- 👍 Numbers go big
- 👍 User-friendly with good descriptions
- 👍 Highly automated progression

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- ⏱️ Slow progression after initial stages
- 🕹️ Difficult mini-games
- 🔒 Harsh time-change penalty
- 🔋 Potential performance issues on some devices

**Reported bugs**

- Puzzle mini-games not loading correctly
- Offline progress issues after updates
- Occasional app crashes

**Requested features**

- More mini-games and challenges
- Better explanations for advanced mechanics
- Adjustable color schemes and visual customization
- Improved offline progress tracking
- Smoother performance and optimization


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BOXD free?

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

### Is Exponential Idle free?

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

### Which has better reviews, BOXD or Exponential Idle?

Exponential Idle is rated higher. BOXD averages 4.5 out of 5 from 68 ratings, while Exponential Idle averages 4.9 from 4.1K ratings.

### Do BOXD or Exponential Idle have ads?

Exponential Idle shows ads; BOXD does not.

### Which is updated more often, BOXD or Exponential Idle?

BOXD ships an update every 2 weeks, and Exponential Idle every 3 weeks. Most recently, BOXD was updated on September 3, 2026 and Exponential Idle on September 28, 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.*