# Sand Balls vs Time

The clearest difference is ads: Time at none against Sand Balls's shown. Time also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Sand Balls's advantage is ratings volume (286K vs 1) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 9 months). On price and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sand Balls sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days and Time sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Time holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sand Balls has 286K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Sand Balls ships an update every 2 months, Time every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sand Balls | Time |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (286K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sand-balls-digger-puzzle/id1474046667/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/time-gate/id6752820513/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **286K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 41.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 289 MB | 20 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [SayGames LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1551847165) | [avneet sandhu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1281426007) |

## What reviewers say

### Sand Balls

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sand-balls-digger-puzzle/id1474046667)

Dig and collect colorful sand balls by navigating intricate paths and overcoming obstacles. Use strategy to fill a truck and transport them to build and upgrade a beautiful island. Enjoy hundreds of levels for relaxation and brain-teasing fun.

**Highlights:** Dig and collect colorful sand balls, Navigate complex paths and obstacles, Fill trucks and transport balls, Build and upgrade a beautiful island, Hundreds of challenging levels, Collect golden keys for surprises

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| VIP Week | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| VIP Month | $19.99 | per month |
| 3 Hints | $0.99 | one-time |
| 25 Gems | $0.99 | one-time |
| Unique Ball bundle | $0.99 | one-time |
| 10 Hints | $1.99 | one-time |
| No Ads | $2.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| 25 Hints | $4.99 | one-time |
| 135 Gems | $4.99 | one-time |
| Basic bundle | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Relaxing and calming gameplay
- 👍 Satisfying physics and visuals
- 💡 Interesting sand city building feature

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🙄 Excessive and intrusive ads
- 🤔 Repetitive and unvaried levels
- 💰 Expensive VIP subscription
- 🐛 Glitches and bugs

**Reported bugs**

- Balls getting stuck in impossible positions
- Game freezing or crashing
- Issues with claiming rewards and unlocking new content

**Requested features**

- Ability to replay past levels
- More challenging and varied levels
- Improved progression and rewards system
- Better ad implementation or ad-free option


### Time

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/time-gate/id6752820513)

Navigate a neon-lit void, dodging shifting walls and collecting gems in this skill-based arcade challenge. Control time to slow down the action for precision maneuvers, but be mindful of energy depletion. Recover from mistakes with a unique grace period that offers a chance to reset and continue your run.

**Highlights:** Skill-based arcade gameplay, Time-bending mechanics, Gem collection for score and energy, Grace period for recovery, Customizable visual effects, One-touch controls

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1000 Coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pause | $0.99 | one-time |
| 10000 Coins | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sand Balls free?

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

### Is Time free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Sand Balls or Time?

Time is rated higher. Sand Balls averages 4.6 out of 5 from 286K ratings, while Time averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Sand Balls or Time have ads?

Sand Balls shows ads; Time does not.

### Which is updated more often, Sand Balls or Time?

Sand Balls ships an update every 2 months, and Time every 9 months. Most recently, Sand Balls was updated on October 28, 2026 and Time on October 11, 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.*