# Scalak vs Close Cities

The clearest difference is price: Close Cities at Free against Scalak's $1.99. Scalak's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ads (none vs shown). On rating and device support there is nothing between them.

Close Cities is free to download; Scalak costs $1.99 up front. Close Cities sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Scalak asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Scalak against 4.8 for Close Cities. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Scalak has 4.4K ratings behind it against 362, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 91% of Scalak's written reviews are positive against 69% of Close Cities's.

Scalak ships an update weekly, Close Cities every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Scalak | Close Cities |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.8 (4.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scalak/id1335784091/reviews)** | [4.8 (362 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/close-cities/id6475958084/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **4.4K** | 362 |
| Positive reviews | **90.6% of reviews** | 69.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 442 MB | 158 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Michal Pawlowski](https://appshunter.io/developer/878197116) | [Juan Manuel Altamirano Argudo](https://appshunter.io/developer/391953849) |

## What reviewers say

### Scalak

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scalak/id1335784091)

Engage your mind with a relaxing puzzle game where you match shapes and find patterns to fill intricate figures. Enjoy a unique and evolving game flow across 90 levels designed for fun and mental stimulation.

**Highlights:** Fill up figures, Match shapes, Find patterns, Spatial awareness challenges, Logical thinking, 90 levels, Evolving game flow

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 Beautiful visuals
- 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
- 🧠 Challenging yet satisfying puzzles
- 🎶 Relaxing background music
- ⏱️ Good progression of difficulty

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🐛 Occasional glitches or bugs
- 💤 Levels can be completed too quickly

**Reported bugs**

- Puzzle 44 reported as unsolvable
- Controls not syncing properly with touch input

**Requested features**

- More levels and content
- Ability to save progress mid-level
- Option to change background color


### Close Cities

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/close-cities/id6475958084)

Build beautiful cities on diverse worlds by solving unique puzzles. This relaxing game guides you through 160 levels with a simple tap or drag interface, requiring no architectural knowledge. Conquer each world's challenges and travel through time with its calming soundtrack.

**Highlights:** Build cities on empty maps, Solve 160 unique puzzle levels, Intuitive tap and drag controls, No architectural knowledge needed, Travel through different worlds, Relaxing music and pace

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hints - Small Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Hints - Medium Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads + Hints | $2.99 | one-time |
| Hints - Big Pack | $5.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Scalak free?

Scalak costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Close Cities free?

Close Cities is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Scalak or Close Cities?

Scalak is rated higher. Scalak averages 4.8 out of 5 from 4.4K ratings, while Close Cities averages 4.8 from 362 ratings.

### Do Scalak or Close Cities have ads?

Close Cities shows ads; Scalak does not.

### Which is updated more often, Scalak or Close Cities?

Scalak ships an update weekly, and Close Cities every 3 weeks. Most recently, Scalak was updated on October 25, 2026 and Close Cities on October 24, 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.*