# Shift Shaft vs Tower Swap

The clearest difference is price: Tower Swap at Free against Shift Shaft's $2.99. Shift Shaft's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and ads (none vs shown). On ratings volume, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Tower Swap is free to download; Shift Shaft costs $2.99 up front. Tower Swap sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Shift Shaft asks for nothing beyond the download.

Shift Shaft holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 143 and 76 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Shift Shaft's written reviews are positive against 75% of Tower Swap's.

Shift Shaft ships an update fortnightly, Tower Swap every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shift Shaft | Tower Swap |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.9 (143 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shift-shaft/id1387207777/reviews)** | [4.6 (76 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tower-swap/id1463356368/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **143** | 76 |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 75.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 34 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [William Katz](https://appshunter.io/developer/1387207776) | [Curtis Robinson](https://appshunter.io/developer/1463356367) |

## What reviewers say

### Shift Shaft

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shift-shaft/id1387207777)

This puzzle game challenges players to match three or more rocks by rotating the entire game board. Upgrade your character's stats and unlock items as you explore an underground world and battle unique enemies. Enjoy an uninterrupted gaming experience with no ads or in-app purchases.

**Highlights:** Rotate the game board, Match 3 or more rocks, Upgrade player stats, Unlock over 30 items, Battle 5 unique enemies, Explore underground world

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Innovative rotate screen mechanic
- 👍 Easy to learn, hard to master
- 💎 Rare hidden gem
- 🧠 Clever and entertaining design
- ✨ Adds a breath of fresh air

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📉 Graphics could be less pixelated
- 🤔 Difficult to pick up strategies
- ⏳ Mid-run save feature missing

**Requested features**

- Non-pixelated graphics
- Mid-run save option


### Tower Swap

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tower-swap/id1463356368)

This match-3 puzzle game combines strategic tower defense with a medieval theme. Match three stones to create towers and defend your castle from incoming dragons. Enjoy instant play with no signup and offline capabilities.

**Highlights:** Match-3 puzzle mechanics, Tower defense gameplay, Castle defense against dragons, Merge stones to build towers, Offline play available, Online high score competition, Portrait mode for one-handed play

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pile of Gold | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pile of Gold | $1.99 | one-time |
| Barrel of Gold | $2.49 | one-time |
| Barrel of Gold | $4.99 | one-time |
| Five Barrels of Gold! | $9.99 | one-time |
| Five Barrels Of Gold | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shift Shaft free?

Shift Shaft costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Tower Swap free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Shift Shaft or Tower Swap?

Shift Shaft is rated higher. Shift Shaft averages 4.9 out of 5 from 143 ratings, while Tower Swap averages 4.6 from 76 ratings.

### Do Shift Shaft or Tower Swap have ads?

Tower Swap shows ads; Shift Shaft does not.

### Which is updated more often, Shift Shaft or Tower Swap?

Shift Shaft ships an update fortnightly, and Tower Swap every 3 weeks. Most recently, Shift Shaft was updated on October 21, 2026 and Tower Swap 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.*