# Pixel Plex vs Beat the Grid

The clearest difference is update cadence: Pixel Plex at weekly against Beat the Grid's every 19 months. Pixel Plex also leads on device support. On price, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pixel Plex sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Beat the Grid sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Pixel Plex ships an update weekly, Beat the Grid every 19 months. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pixel Plex | Beat the Grid |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (2.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-plex-city-builder/id1296964678/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **2.1K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 68.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | — |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 19 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 140 MB | 42 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | — |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Toast - Apps and Software LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/393055476) | [Why not an app](https://appshunter.io/developer/1630700048) |

## What reviewers say

### Pixel Plex

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-plex-city-builder/id1296964678)

Collaborate with up to 40 players to build, trade, and expand a shared city. Design unique structures, manage resources, and engage in market trading to grow your collective cityscape. Participate in mayoral elections to influence city-wide decisions in this ad-free, relaxing simulation.

**Highlights:** Collaborative city building with up to 40 players, Resource trading and market management, Over 60 unique, evolving buildings, Land expansion and business growth, In-game mayoral elections, Ad-free gameplay

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

**In-app purchases (16)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pixel Club Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Bundle 7 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pixel Pack 1 | $1.49 | one-time |
| Change Username | $1.49 | one-time |
| Bundle 1 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Pixel Pack 2 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Bundle 6 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Bundle 4 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Bundle 3 | $5.99 | one-time |
| Bundle 2 | $5.99 | one-time |
| Multiple Cities | $5.99 | one-time |
| Bundle 5 | $6.99 | one-time |
| Pixel Pack 3 | $14.99 | one-time |
| Pixel Pack 6 | $24.99 | one-time |
| Pixel Pack 4 | $49.99 | one-time |
| Pixel Pack 5 | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Chill and relaxing gameplay
- 🤩 Great city building experience
- 💪 Collaborative community aspect
- 🎨 Appealing pixel art style

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- ⏱️ Slow progression and resource gathering
- 💰 Paywall to create new cities
- 🏠 Inactive players occupying city slots

**Reported bugs**

- Buildings disappearing after upgrades
- Incorrect countdown timers
- Negative resource and money balances
- Plex market crashing the game
- Inability to create new cities after purchase

**Requested features**

- Ability to kick inactive players
- More buildings and upgrade options
- Faster resource generation
- Shared trading depot between servers
- Ability to switch servers without losing progress


### Beat the Grid

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beat-the-grid/id1630700046)

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited lives ! | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pixel Plex free?

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

### Is Beat the Grid free?

Beat the Grid is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which is updated more often, Pixel Plex or Beat the Grid?

Pixel Plex ships an update weekly, and Beat the Grid every 19 months. Most recently, Pixel Plex was updated on October 19, 2026 and Beat the Grid on October 3, 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.*