# Pac.io vs Mazinator

The clearest difference is price: Pac.io at Free against Mazinator's $0.99. Pac.io also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15). Mazinator's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ads (none vs shown). On update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Pac.io is free to download; Mazinator costs $0.99 up front. Pac.io sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Mazinator asks for nothing beyond the download.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pac.io | Mazinator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $0.99 |
| Rating | **[4.2 (297 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pacio/id1274026778/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **297** | — |
| Positive reviews | 53.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 139 MB | 34 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nomadic Bear Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/1188304416) | [Vered Raiter](https://appshunter.io/developer/1035149615) |

## What reviewers say

### Pac.io

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pacio/id1274026778)

Engage in an addictive grid-battle by swiping to outsmart opponents and dominate the arena. Utilize a variety of power-ups and unlock unique skins to enhance your gameplay and rise through the ranks. Enjoy endless fun offline or online with intuitive controls.

**Highlights:** Swipe controls for movement, Strategic power-ups, Unlockable skins, Offline and online play, Intuitive gameplay

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Coin Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Medium Coin Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Magnet | $4.99 | one-time |
| Thunder | $4.99 | one-time |
| Sword | $4.99 | one-time |
| Big Coin Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| No Ads | $9.99 | one-time |
| Large Coin Pack | $19.99 | one-time |
| Huge Coin Pack | $49.99 | one-time |
| Massive Coin Pack | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 😍 Highly addictive and engaging gameplay
- 🎮 Fun Pac-Man inspired mechanics
- 👥 Real multiplayer players (not just bots)
- ⚡ Fast-paced and entertaining
- 🏆 Leaderboard and competitive features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📺 Excessive ads throughout gameplay
- ⚠️ Ads interrupt and crash the game
- 😤 Unfair difficulty and instant death
- 🎮 Sliding controls instead of D-pad/joystick
- 🤖 Questionable AI behavior and cheating

**Reported bugs**

- Ads crash game at end of video
- Game freezes after ad completion
- Pink screen ad that cannot be closed
- Instant death upon spawning
- Players getting stuck behind walls

**Requested features**

- Arrow buttons or D-pad controls instead of sliding
- Ad-free premium version for purchase
- Ability to disable ads with WiFi off
- Friend list and private room creation
- Real player names instead of randomized ones


### Mazinator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mazinator/id1454121322)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pac.io free?

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

### Is Mazinator free?

Mazinator costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Pac.io or Mazinator have ads?

Pac.io shows ads; Mazinator does not.

### Which is updated more often, Pac.io or Mazinator?

Pac.io ships an update fortnightly, and Mazinator fortnightly. Most recently, Pac.io was updated on October 17, 2026 and Mazinator on October 18, 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.*