# DotMania vs Nodes

The clearest difference is ads: DotMania at none against Nodes's shown. DotMania also leads on review sentiment (75% vs 66%) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). Nodes's advantage is ratings volume (399 vs 55). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. DotMania sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Nodes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for DotMania against 4.6 for Nodes. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Nodes has 399 ratings behind it against 55, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 75% of DotMania's written reviews are positive against 66% of Nodes's.

DotMania ships an update every 5 weeks, Nodes every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | DotMania | Nodes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (55 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dotmania-dot-to-dot-puzzles/id1345976443/reviews)** | [4.6 (399 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nodes-connect-dots-to-relax/id6498960573/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 55 | **399** |
| Positive reviews | **75.0% of reviews** | 65.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 33 MB | 70 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [GROOP CZ s.r.o.](https://appshunter.io/developer/927932793) | [NUR NURIYE ERSAHIN](https://appshunter.io/developer/1706584858) |

## What reviewers say

### DotMania

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dotmania-dot-to-dot-puzzles/id1345976443)

Engage in a relaxing dot-to-dot puzzle game that offers a wide range of complexity, from simple drawings to intricate images. This app provides stress relief, brain training, and a way to combat boredom, playable even offline.

**Highlights:** Hundreds of dot-to-dot puzzles, Variety of themes (animals, history, art, etc.), Suitable for children and adults, Offline play support, Stress relief and brain training, Regularly updated puzzles

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Animals 2 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Age of Caesars | $1.99 | one-time |
| Magnificent Ships | $1.99 | one-time |
| Incredible Buildings 2 | $1.99 | one-time |
| World War II | $1.99 | one-time |
| Beautiful Plants | $1.99 | one-time |
| Our Amazing Technic 2 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Life with Trains | $1.99 | one-time |
| Fashion in our History | $1.99 | one-time |
| No Advertisement in DotMania | $2.99 | one-time |


### Nodes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nodes-connect-dots-to-relax/id6498960573)

Connect dots to reveal beautiful, handcrafted images in a relaxing puzzle game. Enjoy a calming experience at your own pace, perfect for listening to podcasts or music. Pick up where you left off anytime.

**Highlights:** Connect dots to form art, Handcrafted puzzles, Relaxing gameplay, Save progress, No time limits, Clear incorrect connections

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $24.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Beautiful and artistic puzzle designs
- 😌 Relaxing and meditative gameplay experience
- ✨ Smooth and polished user interface
- 🌙 Dark mode available
- 📱 Great Vertex replacement for NYT fans

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent bugs and glitches
- 📉 Infrequent puzzle updates
- 🔒 Paywall restricts access to acquired puzzles
- 🎨 Childish art style for some users
- 📱 Landscape mode not supported on iPad

**Reported bugs**

- Lines connecting to unintended dots
- App crashes requiring restart
- Progress deletion mid-puzzle
- Puzzles not saving completion status
- Touch controls directing swipes to wrong anchors

**Requested features**

- Undo or delete line functionality
- Ability to replay completed puzzles
- More frequent puzzle updates and releases
- One-time purchase option instead of subscription
- Portrait mode support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is DotMania free?

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

### Is Nodes free?

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

### Which has better reviews, DotMania or Nodes?

DotMania is rated higher. DotMania averages 4.6 out of 5 from 55 ratings, while Nodes averages 4.6 from 399 ratings.

### Do DotMania or Nodes have ads?

Nodes shows ads; DotMania does not.

### Which is updated more often, DotMania or Nodes?

DotMania ships an update every 5 weeks, and Nodes every 3 weeks. Most recently, DotMania was updated on November 2, 2026 and Nodes on November 8, 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.*