# Idle evolution vs Elements Merge

Idle evolution and Elements Merge both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 75% of Idle evolution's written reviews are positive against 29% of Elements Merge's. Idle evolution also leads on ratings volume (5.8K vs 859). Elements Merge's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Idle evolution sells 22 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days and Elements Merge sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. 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 Idle evolution against 4.6 for Elements Merge. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Idle evolution has 5.8K ratings behind it against 859, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 75% of Idle evolution's written reviews are positive against 29% of Elements Merge's.

Idle evolution ships an update every 2 months, Elements Merge every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Idle evolution | Elements Merge |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (5.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-evolution-life-on-earth/id1484295610/reviews)** | [4.6 (859 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elements-merge/id1542333464/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5.8K** | 859 |
| Positive reviews | **74.9% of reviews** | 28.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 330 MB | 103 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [DoMobile Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/523576985) | [Volodymyr Klymenko](https://appshunter.io/developer/737262914) |

## What reviewers say

### Idle evolution

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-evolution-life-on-earth/id1484295610)

Explore the 4-billion-year history of life on Earth through an engaging idle game. Learn about ancient creatures and human culture while restoring biological forms and unlocking evolutionary mysteries. Experience a blend of casual gameplay and educational content.

**Highlights:** Casual idle gameplay, Popular science education, Biological restoration, Intellectual equipment technology, Unlock mysteries of life, Experience life evolution

**In-app purchases (22)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| VIP | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Diamond X100 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Limit Gift 01 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Sea.sale1 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Energy output Permanent x2 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Silver Passport | $3.99 | one-time |
| Speed Gift 2 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Limit Gift 6 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Limit Gift 04 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Sealimit.gift1 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Humanlimit.gift1 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Diamond X300 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Valued package | $5.99 | one-time |
| DNA output Permanent x2 | $5.99 | one-time |
| Sea.sale2 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Human.sale2 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Diamond X675 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Life Tree Gift 2 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Special golden passport | $11.99 | one-time |
| Golden Passport | $19.99 | one-time |
| Diamond X1500 | $19.99 | one-time |
| Sea.sale3 | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and educational game
- 🚀 Engaging gameplay
- 💡 Interesting prehistoric creatures
- 👍 Informative and accurate content
- 💡 Rewards for answering questions instead of ads

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- 🔍 Unclear instructions
- 🔍 Confusing UI
- 🔍 Inaccurate creature descriptions
- 🔍 Slow progress after a certain point

**Reported bugs**

- Game not loading or crashing
- Incorrect resource deduction when purchasing items
- Ads not closing properly
- Saved progress not syncing across devices

**Requested features**

- More dinosaur and prehistoric creature models
- Improved tutorial and onboarding
- Ability to reset progress and start over
- More advanced gameplay modes
- Optimization for larger screens


### Elements Merge

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elements-merge/id1542333464)

Combine basic elements like Earth, Fire, Water, Air, and Wind to discover over 500 unique and surprising new creations. Explore endless possibilities and find unusual connections between everyday and fantastical items. It's an easy-to-learn puzzle game with a vast collection of discoverable elements.

**Highlights:** Combine basic elements, Discover over 500 elements, Find unusual connections, Simple and easy gameplay, Unlock new items

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| No ADS | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💗 Relaxing and fun
- 🎨 Cool textures
- 🤩 Love the game

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤬 Too many ads
- 💸 Ads ruin the experience
- 🔋 Battery drain issue
- 🤔 Restrictive gameplay

**Reported bugs**

- Ads freeze the game
- Hints not working properly
- Game layout changes causing issues

**Requested features**

- Reduce the number of ads
- Add a search bar for elements
- Improve element discovery progress tracking


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Idle evolution free?

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

### Is Elements Merge free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Idle evolution or Elements Merge?

Idle evolution is rated higher. Idle evolution averages 4.6 out of 5 from 5.8K ratings, while Elements Merge averages 4.6 from 859 ratings.

### Do Idle evolution or Elements Merge have ads?

Both Idle evolution and Elements Merge show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Idle evolution or Elements Merge?

Idle evolution ships an update every 2 months, and Elements Merge every 4 days. Most recently, Idle evolution was updated on October 19, 2026 and Elements Merge on October 14, 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.*