# Idle Drops vs Simple Checkmate

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Simple Checkmate at none against Idle Drops's 12. Simple Checkmate also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). Idle Drops's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Idle Drops sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Simple Checkmate asks for nothing beyond the download.

Idle Drops ships an update every 9 days, Simple Checkmate every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 18, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Idle Drops | Simple Checkmate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (810 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-drops/id1362072943/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **810** | — |
| Positive reviews | 62.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 54 MB | 117 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Studio Rouleau Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/933957878) | [TechQiao Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1594308257) |

## What reviewers say

### Idle Drops

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-drops/id1362072943)

Tap the screen to drop balls into slots and grow your in-game fortune. Upgrade drops to earn more money and boost balls to unlock new levels and story elements. Enjoy an idle clicker experience with strategic upgrades.

**Highlights:** Tap to drop balls, Upgrade drops for more earnings, Boost balls for new levels, Unlock story elements, Collect all drops

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

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| VIP Membership | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| 10 Diamonds | $0.99 | one-time |
| Dragon Drop | $0.99 | one-time |
| Ad-Free Collect x2 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $2.99 | one-time |
| Ad-Free Drops x2 and Multi x2 | $2.99 | one-time |
| 55 Diamonds | $4.99 | one-time |
| Mega Pack Remove Ads | $6.99 | one-time |
| Mega Pack | $6.99 | one-time |
| 120 Diamonds | $9.99 | one-time |
| Permanent VIP | $19.99 | one-time |
| 250 Diamonds | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Relaxing gameplay
- 🚀 Addictive experience
- 💡 Interesting story/lore
- 🎨 Great visuals and music

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Frequent ads
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 🔋 Progress loss issues
- 📊 Slow progression at higher levels

**Reported bugs**

- Ads causing game freezes
- Losing progress after prestiging
- Inconsistent ad reward functionality

**Requested features**

- Add more level variety
- Improve ad implementation
- Implement cloud save/sync
- Expand on the story/lore


### Simple Checkmate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-checkmate/id6738383817)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Idle Drops free?

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

### Is Simple Checkmate free?

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

### Do Idle Drops or Simple Checkmate have ads?

Both Idle Drops and Simple Checkmate show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Idle Drops or Simple Checkmate?

Idle Drops ships an update every 9 days, and Simple Checkmate every 2 weeks. Most recently, Idle Drops was updated on October 18, 2026 and Simple Checkmate on October 18, 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.*