# Merge Ninja Star vs Drill Evolution

The clearest difference is rating: Drill Evolution at 5.0 against Merge Ninja Star's 4.4. Drill Evolution also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 21) and review sentiment (100% vs 88%). Merge Ninja Star's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Merge Ninja Star sells 21 one-off in-app purchases. Drill Evolution asks for nothing beyond the download.

Drill Evolution holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Merge Ninja Star has 10 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 88% of Merge Ninja Star's written reviews are positive against 100% of Drill Evolution's.

Merge Ninja Star ships an update fortnightly, Drill Evolution every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Merge Ninja Star | Drill Evolution |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merge-ninja-star/id1207645924/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drill-evolution/id1587574958/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **10** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 87.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 402 MB | 131 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [MouseDuck Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1170186515) | [SOYOUNG HONG](https://appshunter.io/developer/1577078806) |

## What reviewers say

### Merge Ninja Star

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merge-ninja-star/id1207645924)

Merge shurikens to create stronger ones and battle powerful bosses. This idle game allows you to grow stronger even when not actively playing, offering mini-games and record-breaking challenges for rewards.

**Highlights:** Merge shurikens to increase power, Idle battle system for offline progression, Battle powerful bosses, Engaging mini-games, Record-breaking challenges, Endlessly growing shurikens

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

**In-app purchases (21)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 70000 Rubies | $0.99 | one-time |
| Special package | $0.99 | one-time |
| Boosting Package | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pile of Rubies | $4.99 | one-time |
| AD Remove package +  5000Ruby | $4.99 | one-time |
| One Box of Rubies | $9.99 | one-time |
| Spring package 1 | $9.99 | one-time |
| 5th Anniversary Package 1 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Watermelon Package 1 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Box of Ninja Star Fragment | $9.99 | one-time |
| Ninjastar growth package | $9.99 | one-time |
| Stage growth package | $9.99 | one-time |
| Chuseok Step-Up Package1 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Umbrella Package1 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Two Boxes of Rubies | $19.99 | one-time |
| Heavyweight pacakage | $29.99 | one-time |
| Ruby Package 1 | $29.99 | one-time |
| Ninja Star Fragment Package | $29.99 | one-time |
| A Pack of Rubies | $39.99 | one-time |
| Two Packs of Rubies | $79.99 | one-time |
| Ruby Package 2 | $89.99 | one-time |


### Drill Evolution

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drill-evolution/id1587574958)

This idle clicker game combines incremental upgrades with a luck-based system. Collect items to enhance your drill, then use the upgraded drill to gather more items. Success depends on both diligent grinding and fortunate outcomes.

**Highlights:** Item collection, Drill upgrades, Luck-based progression, Incremental gameplay, Idle mechanics

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Merge Ninja Star free?

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

### Is Drill Evolution free?

Drill Evolution is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Merge Ninja Star or Drill Evolution?

Drill Evolution is rated higher. Merge Ninja Star averages 4.4 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while Drill Evolution averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Merge Ninja Star or Drill Evolution have ads?

Drill Evolution shows ads; Merge Ninja Star does not.

### Which is updated more often, Merge Ninja Star or Drill Evolution?

Merge Ninja Star ships an update fortnightly, and Drill Evolution every 3 months. Most recently, Merge Ninja Star was updated on September 24, 2026 and Drill Evolution on September 19, 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.*