# Number Slide Puzzle Challenge vs Gradient Sort

Number Slide Puzzle Challenge and Gradient Sort both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Number Slide Puzzle Challenge's written reviews are positive against 42% of Gradient Sort's. Gradient Sort's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (4.6K vs 66). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Number Slide Puzzle Challenge sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Gradient Sort sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Number Slide Puzzle Challenge against 4.5 for Gradient Sort. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Gradient Sort has 4.6K ratings behind it against 66, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of Number Slide Puzzle Challenge's written reviews are positive against 42% of Gradient Sort's.

Number Slide Puzzle Challenge ships an update every 4 months, Gradient Sort weekly. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Number Slide Puzzle Challenge | Gradient Sort |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (66 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/number-slide-puzzle-challenge/id1478371907/reviews)** | [4.5 (4.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gradient-sort/id1644068469/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 66 | **4.6K** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 41.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 98 MB | 350 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.2** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | +4 | 12+ |
| Developer | [CHENGDU MIAOZHI TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1465440799) | [Popcore GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1375461777) |

## What reviewers say

### Number Slide Puzzle Challenge

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/number-slide-puzzle-challenge/id1478371907)

Engage your mind with a classic number sliding puzzle. Arrange numbered tiles in order by sliding them into an empty space. Offers various grid sizes for endless challenges and brain stimulation.

**Highlights:** Classic number sliding puzzle gameplay, Tap and slide tile mechanics, Endless challenge mode, Multiple grid sizes (3x3 to 15x15), Brain stimulation and logic challenge, User-friendly controls and simple interface

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lifetime Premium | $5.99 | one-time |


### Gradient Sort

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gradient-sort/id1644068469)

Engage in a visually pleasing color sorting puzzle game. Arrange shades of colors in the correct order to achieve perfect color harmony and a relaxing, meditative experience. This game offers a unique take on coloring and shade sorting mechanics.

**Highlights:** Color sorting puzzle mechanic, Visually pleasing gradients, Relaxing gameplay, Achieve color harmony, Meditative experience

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bunch of cash | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pack for Hint Booster | $1.99 | one-time |
| Skip Tickets | $1.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $2.99 | one-time |
| Permanent Worker | $3.99 | one-time |
| Stack of Cash | $3.99 | one-time |
| Pile of Cash | $8.99 | one-time |
| Bag of Cash | $17.99 | one-time |
| Regular pack of Hint Booster | $19.99 | one-time |
| Big pack for Hint Booster | $59.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Relaxing color sorting
- 👍 Enjoyable gameplay
- 💡 Unique puzzle concept

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent glitches and bugs
- 📺 Excessive ads
- 🔍 Small puzzle pieces difficult to interact with

**Reported bugs**

- Puzzle screen becomes zoomed in and unresponsive
- Hints not working as expected
- Puzzle pieces not registering correctly

**Requested features**

- Zoom in/out functionality
- Option to remove ads
- Ability to save progress and resume levels


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Number Slide Puzzle Challenge free?

Number Slide Puzzle Challenge is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Gradient Sort free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Number Slide Puzzle Challenge or Gradient Sort?

Number Slide Puzzle Challenge is rated higher. Number Slide Puzzle Challenge averages 4.6 out of 5 from 66 ratings, while Gradient Sort averages 4.5 from 4.6K ratings.

### Do Number Slide Puzzle Challenge or Gradient Sort have ads?

Both Number Slide Puzzle Challenge and Gradient Sort show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Number Slide Puzzle Challenge or Gradient Sort?

Number Slide Puzzle Challenge ships an update every 4 months, and Gradient Sort weekly. Most recently, Number Slide Puzzle Challenge was updated on November 3, 2026 and Gradient Sort on November 3, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*