Comparison

Unfoldit vs Pathways

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Unfoldit

This app offers a unique puzzle experience where you visualize folding paper and predicting where holes will appear. It's designed to sharpen spatial reasoning, memory, and logic skills through over 1,800 levels. Enjoy brain training that fits into your day, with progress tracking and offline play.

Highlights
  • Visualize paper folds and hole punches
  • 1,885+ handcrafted levels
  • Hints and step-by-step animations
  • Strengthen focus and memory
  • Track stats for accuracy and speed
  • Offline play
  • iCloud sync across devices
Features
Read full description

BOOST YOUR BRAINPOWER WITH EVERY FOLD & PUNCH. Sharpen your spatial reasoning, short-term memory, and logic skills — one puzzle at a time. Unfoldit is the original brain training game of paper folding and hole punching, inspired by real cognitive assessments and enjoyed by thousands around the world. BRILLIANT VISUAL PUZZLES THAT WORK YOUR MIND. • Visualize folds and mentally unfold them to predict hole punches across 1,885+ handcrafted levels • Start easy and progress through expert-level puzzles with precision • Learn as you go — hints and step-by-step unfolding animations guide you • Strengthen focus, memory, and cognitive flexibility with each puzzle BASED ON REAL COGNITIVE SCIENCE. • Modeled after spatial reasoning and visual memory tests used in academia, research, and admissions • Gameplay designed to challenge and enhance short-term memory and attention • Used by students, professionals, and puzzle lovers alike TAP IT, UNFOLD IT, WIN IT. • Short levels are perfect for those in-between moments throughout your day • Play hundreds of free levels — no ads, no distractions BUILT FOR PLAY — AND FOR PROGRESS. • Track your stats for each level — accuracy, speed, and precision • Personalize your experience with light/dark mode and gameplay settings • Play offline anytime — on flights, subways, or in short breaks INTEGRATED WITH YOUR LIFE. • Sync progress and stats automatically with iCloud across iPhone, iPad, and Mac • Set optional daily reminders for encouragement to build a brain-training habit • Share level links with friends to challenge them to solve what you’ve mastered • Use Handoff to continue levels between devices for seamless gameplay • Use Siri Shortcuts to jump back into your next level instantly AWARD-WINNING & FEATURE-RICH. Unfoldit was a finalist in the 2019 Georgia Tech InVenture Prize invention competition. It's been refined for thoughtful minds, clever thinkers, and everyday geniuses. UNFOLD YOUR MIND. START TRAINING TODAY. Download Unfoldit now and join a global community of players improving their minds one fold at a time.

About

Pathways

A minimalist logic puzzle game where players guide a dot to its home space by drawing colored paths. It offers increasing difficulty levels and daily challenges, with an option for advanced features like custom level creation.

Highlights
  • Draw colored paths to guide a dot
  • Solve spatial reasoning puzzles
  • Progress through increasing grid sizes
  • Daily timed puzzles with score sharing
  • Create and share custom levels
  • No ads, playable offline
Features
Read full description

Pathways is a spatial reasoning logic puzzle with a clean, minimalist design. The goal is simple: move the dot home! How it works: -Each grid has one dot, and one home space -The dot can only move to colored spaces -Use tabs on the side of the grid to draw paths of color -Retract and redraw paths as necessary -Move that dot home! Easy to learn, difficult to master -Start with 3x4 grids to learn the ropes -Up the challenge with 4x4 grids -Put yourself to the real test with 4x5 grids Daily Puzzles -Timed puzzles, share your score with friends -Puzzles increase in difficulty throughout the week -Build your streak! Pathways PRO -Access all packs (375 puzzles + future packs) -Access Daily Puzzle archive to play old puzzles (100+ Daily Puzzles) -Create your own levels, share with friends and/or submit to Pathways to be featured Why Pathways? -Clean, minimalistic design -Simple rules, yet challenging solutions -No ads, no wifi required Up for the challenge? Download Pathways today!

Screenshots

Unfoldit4 screens
Pathways4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Unfoldit at 609 against Pathways's 28. Unfoldit also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months) and review sentiment (98% vs 90%). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Unfoldit sells 7 one-off in-app purchases and Pathways sells 9 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Unfoldit against 4.8 for Pathways. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Unfoldit has 609 ratings behind it against 28, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 98% of Unfoldit's written reviews are positive against 90% of Pathways's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Unfoldit ships an update every 3 weeks, Pathways every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Unfoldit versus Pathways: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterUnfolditPathways
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (609 ratings) — better4.8 (28 ratings)
Positive reviews98.4% of reviews — better90.0% of reviews
Number of ratings609 — better28
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better14.0
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB36 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperErudite Apps LLCWilliam Arbuckle

Customer experience

Unfoldit

All ratings510 ratings
Positive98.4%
Neutral1.0%
Negative0.6%
Written reviews61 reviews
Positive98.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative1.6%

Pathways

All ratings26 ratings
Positive96.2%
Neutral0.0%
Negative3.8%
Written reviews20 reviews
Positive90.0%
Neutral5.0%
Negative5.0%

Bugs and requests

Unfoldit

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Difficulty differentiating old and new holes in some levels
  • Occasional freezing or crashing on certain devices

Requested features

3 requests
  • More advanced/difficult levels
  • Ability to track progress and achievements
  • Multiplayer or competitive modes

Pathways

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Unfoldit

One-time7
  • Medium Levels$0.99
  • Tiny Hint Pack$0.99
  • Hard Levels$1.99
Show 4 more
  • Expert Levels$2.99
  • Small Hint Pack$3.99
  • Grande Hint Pack$9.99
  • Ream Master Hint Pack$19.99
9 purchases

Pathways

One-time9
  • Support Developpment$0.99
  • Support Developpment$1.99
  • Support Developpment$4.99
Show 6 more
  • Pathways PRO$7.99
  • Support Developpment$7.99
  • Support Developpment$9.99
  • Support Developpment$14.99
  • Support Developpment$19.99
  • Support Developpment$29.99

Questions

Is Unfoldit free?
Unfoldit is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pathways free?
Pathways is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Unfoldit or Pathways?
Unfoldit is rated higher. Unfoldit averages 4.9 out of 5 from 609 ratings, while Pathways averages 4.8 from 28 ratings.
Do Unfoldit or Pathways have ads?
Neither Unfoldit nor Pathways shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Unfoldit or Pathways?
Unfoldit ships an update every 3 weeks, and Pathways every 2 months. Most recently, Unfoldit was updated on November 6, 2026 and Pathways on November 9, 2026.

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