# UP 9 vs Cat Stack

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Cat Stack at 79% against UP 9's 47%. Cat Stack also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.5). UP 9's advantage is ratings volume (3K vs 889) and iOS requirement (12 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. UP 9 sells 7 one-off in-app purchases and Cat Stack sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Cat Stack holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3K and 889 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 47% of UP 9's written reviews are positive against 79% of Cat Stack's.

UP 9 ships an update every 2 months, Cat Stack every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | UP 9 | Cat Stack |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/up-9-hexa-puzzle/id1326845399/reviews) | **[4.8 (889 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cat-stack/id1398886906/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3K** | 889 |
| Positive reviews | 46.8% of reviews | **79.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 132 MB | 236 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Coco Play](https://appshunter.io/developer/654657050) | [Full Fat Productions Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/374306144) |

## What reviewers say

### UP 9

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/up-9-hexa-puzzle/id1326845399)

This addictive puzzle game challenges you to merge numbered hexagons on a grid. Stack and combine pieces to reach the number 9, strategically managing space to avoid filling the board. Enjoy brain-training fun with unlimited play and no time limits.

**Highlights:** Slide numbered hexagons onto a grid, Stack same numbers to merge, Rotate pieces before dropping, Reach the number 9, Unlimited reloads, No time limits, Play offline

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Get 100 Coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| No Ads Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Get 300 Coins | $1.99 | one-time |
| Get 1000 Coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Get 3000 Coins | $9.99 | one-time |
| Get 10k Coins | $24.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Fun and addictive gameplay
- 💡 Challenging brain-teasing experience
- 🎨 Visually appealing design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Lack of clear instructions or tutorials
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🔍 Confusing or unintuitive controls
- 🔍 Unclear scoring system or progression
- 🐛 Frequent crashes or freezes

**Reported bugs**

- Scores not updating correctly on leaderboard
- Purchased ad-free version still showing ads
- Game restarting unexpectedly after exiting
- Pieces moving on their own during gameplay

**Requested features**

- Add option to disable background music
- Improve leaderboard functionality
- Implement an undo/redo feature
- Provide more detailed in-game help and tutorials


### Cat Stack

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cat-stack/id1398886906)

Rotate and position various cats to build the tallest possible tower. Be careful, as a fallen cat means game over. Discover and collect over 70 unique cat breeds, each with different effects that can impact your tower's stability.

**Highlights:** Stack cats to build towers, Physics-based gameplay, Collect over 70 cat breeds, Cats have unique effects, High score challenges

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| CS Gem Pack 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Bundle Pack 1 | $4.99 | one-time |
| CS Gem Pack 2 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $5.99 | one-time |
| Bundle Pack 2 | $9.99 | one-time |
| CS Gem Pack 3 | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🐱 Cute cats
- 🕹️ Fun and addictive gameplay
- 💡 Unique concept
- 👍 Simple and easy to play
- 🕰️ Good for passing time

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Lack of variety in cat shapes
- 🔊 Sound issues and audio cutting out
- 📺 Too many ads, disruptive to gameplay
- 🔒 Paid version still has ads

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes and freezes
- Unresponsive controls
- Ads not loading properly

**Requested features**

- More cat variety
- Pause button
- Offline play mode
- Customization options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is UP 9 free?

UP 9 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Cat Stack free?

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

### Which has better reviews, UP 9 or Cat Stack?

Cat Stack is rated higher. UP 9 averages 4.5 out of 5 from 3K ratings, while Cat Stack averages 4.8 from 889 ratings.

### Do UP 9 or Cat Stack have ads?

Both UP 9 and Cat Stack show ads.

### Which is updated more often, UP 9 or Cat Stack?

UP 9 ships an update every 2 months, and Cat Stack every 3 months. Most recently, UP 9 was updated on September 18, 2026 and Cat Stack on September 4, 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.*