# Grindstone vs Masterpieced

The clearest difference is monetization model: Masterpieced at free against Grindstone's paid. Masterpieced also leads on device support (6 vs 4). Grindstone's advantage is review sentiment (78% vs 66%). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Grindstone against 4.8 for Masterpieced. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6.7K and 11K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 78% of Grindstone's written reviews are positive against 66% of Masterpieced's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 6 weeks. Both last shipped on September 28, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Grindstone | Masterpieced |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (6.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/grindstone/id1357426636/reviews) | **[4.8 (11K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/masterpieced/id1597761942/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 6.7K | **11K** |
| Positive reviews | **78.1% of reviews** | 65.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 988 MB | 1.3 GB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 13.5 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Capybara Games Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/424912058) | [BorderLeap](https://appshunter.io/developer/546937507) |

## What reviewers say

### Grindstone

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/grindstone/id1357426636)

Engage in a challenging puzzle-battle game where you slash your way up a treacherous mountain. Cleave through swarms of enemies, battle bosses, and discover blueprints for powerful gear. Over 200 levels of intense puzzle-battling await.

**Highlights:** Sword-slashing puzzle battles, Over 200 levels, Battle bosses, Loot resources, Discover gear blueprints, Cleave deadly foes

**Features:** With Apple Arcade, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Addictive gameplay
- 👍 Unique and charming art style
- 🎨 Excellent soundtrack and sound effects
- 💡 Satisfying chain combos
- 🕹️ Intuitive and challenging mechanics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- ⏱️ Unskippable animations
- 🔄 Progress loss when switching apps
- 🤔 Difficulty spike in later levels

**Reported bugs**

- Freezing on black screen after intro
- Inability to complete certain levels due to glitches
- Disappearing save data after updates

**Requested features**

- More levels and content updates
- Ability to save progress mid-level
- Option to disable animations
- Landscape mode support on iPad
- In-game enemy encyclopedia


### Masterpieced

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/masterpieced/id1597761942)

Immerse yourself in art and its stories with this unique puzzle game. Solve intricate puzzles by strategically combining visual clues and artist narratives. Unlock a world of color, music, and hidden insights as you piece together masterpieces.

**Highlights:** Hundreds of artworks from various artists and mediums, Puzzles featuring famous artists like Van Gogh, Artist stories providing inspiration behind the art, Custom-composed music and sound effects, Real-time multiplayer gameplay

**Features:** With Apple Arcade, Game Controller support, SharePlay

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Beautiful artwork and illustrations
- 🎶 Calming and relaxing music
- 💤 Helps relax and unwind
- 🧩 Enjoyable puzzle experience
- 🖼️ Interesting artist stories and quotes

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and crashes frequently
- 🔋 Drains battery quickly
- 🤔 Unclear controls and navigation
- 🔀 Puzzle board moves around too much
- 🙈 Difficulty seeing pieces on grayscale background

**Reported bugs**

- Puzzle pieces not loading
- Puzzle progress not syncing across devices
- Preference settings not saving properly
- Multiplayer mode not functioning

**Requested features**

- Option to disable text/story mode and just see the full image
- Ability to sort and group puzzle pieces
- Lock feature to keep puzzle board in place
- Lefty mode for piece placement
- More varied difficulty levels


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Grindstone free?

Grindstone is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Masterpieced free?

Masterpieced is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Grindstone or Masterpieced?

Masterpieced is rated higher. Grindstone averages 4.7 out of 5 from 6.7K ratings, while Masterpieced averages 4.8 from 11K ratings.

### Do Grindstone or Masterpieced have ads?

Neither Grindstone nor Masterpieced shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Grindstone or Masterpieced?

Grindstone ships an update every 6 weeks, and Masterpieced every 6 weeks. Most recently, Grindstone was updated on September 28, 2026 and Masterpieced on September 28, 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.*