# Ground Driller vs Mining Tycoon 3D

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Ground Driller at 60% against Mining Tycoon 3D's 13%. Ground Driller also leads on rating (4.4 vs 3.3) and ratings volume (498 vs 46). Mining Tycoon 3D's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs monthly) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Ground Driller sells 8 one-off in-app purchases and Mining Tycoon 3D sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Ground Driller holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ground Driller has 498 ratings behind it against 46, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of Ground Driller's written reviews are positive against 13% of Mining Tycoon 3D's.

Ground Driller ships an update monthly, Mining Tycoon 3D every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ground Driller | Mining Tycoon 3D |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (498 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ground-driller/id1438618181/reviews)** | [3.3 (46 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mining-tycoon-3d/id1556057188/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **498** | 46 |
| Positive reviews | **60.2% of reviews** | 12.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 234 MB | 199 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Fevergames inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1745313487) | [Sablo Studio](https://appshunter.io/developer/1434408975) |

## What reviewers say

### Ground Driller

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ground-driller/id1438618181)

An idle digging game where you excavate gems and minerals with automated miners and upgradable equipment. Discover rare treasures deep underground and earn coins even when offline. Explore new content like research, fishing, and mini-games.

**Highlights:** Automated digging and mining, Collect diverse gems and minerals, Upgrade excavators and miners, Offline coin earnings, Mining research, fishing, mini-games, Achievements and leaderboards

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 300 Dia | $1.99 | one-time |
| 1200 Dia | $6.99 | one-time |
| Speed-up 3x | $6.99 | one-time |
| Remove Bad News | $6.99 | one-time |
| 4200 Diamonds | $19.99 | one-time |
| 8000 Dia | $34.99 | one-time |
| 18000 Dia(Limited) | $34.99 | one-time |
| 18000 Diamonds | $69.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great game
- 🚀 Smooth gameplay
- 💡 Interesting concept
- 🕰️ Good time-waster
- 🎨 Nice graphics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Difficult to see coin count on iPhone X/XS/XR
- 🔁 Too many ads required for progression
- ⏱️ Slow offline progress
- 💰 Expensive upgrades
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches

**Reported bugs**

- Coin count not visible on iPhone X/XS/XR
- Timers not counting down when app is closed
- Ads not loading properly

**Requested features**

- Offline resource generation
- Bulk upgrade options
- Competitive/social features
- More end-game content
- Compatibility improvements for newer iPhones


### Mining Tycoon 3D

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mining-tycoon-3d/id1556057188)

Dig deep into the earth to unearth precious gems, gold, and diamonds. Hire miners, upgrade their speed, and tap to accelerate your excavation. Become a wealthy mining tycoon by discovering hidden treasures and filling your carts.

**Highlights:** Mine and load carts, Discover various jewels, Dig and create paths, Explore a spiral world, Hire and upgrade workers, Tap to speed up mining

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Handful of Gems | $1.99 | one-time |
| Bucket of Gems | $4.99 | one-time |
| Barrel of Gems | $9.99 | one-time |
| Remove Unwanted Ads | $9.99 | one-time |
| Crate of Gems | $24.99 | one-time |
| Wheel Barrow of Gems | $44.99 | one-time |
| Truckload of Gems | $89.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ground Driller free?

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

### Is Mining Tycoon 3D free?

Mining Tycoon 3D is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Ground Driller or Mining Tycoon 3D?

Ground Driller is rated higher. Ground Driller averages 4.4 out of 5 from 498 ratings, while Mining Tycoon 3D averages 3.3 from 46 ratings.

### Do Ground Driller or Mining Tycoon 3D have ads?

Both Ground Driller and Mining Tycoon 3D show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Ground Driller or Mining Tycoon 3D?

Ground Driller ships an update monthly, and Mining Tycoon 3D every 2 weeks. Most recently, Ground Driller was updated on October 21, 2026 and Mining Tycoon 3D 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.*