# Tether.io vs Thorn And Balloons

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Tether.io at none against Thorn And Balloons's 19. Tether.io also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 13.0). Thorn And Balloons's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (52K vs 4). On price, rating and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Thorn And Balloons sells 19 one-off in-app purchases. Tether.io asks for nothing beyond the download.

Thorn And Balloons holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Thorn And Balloons has 52K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Tether.io ships an update every 4 months, Thorn And Balloons every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Tether.io | Thorn And Balloons |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tetherio/id1493514623/reviews) | **[4.7 (52K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thorn-and-balloons/id1611756991/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **52K** |
| Positive reviews | — | 33.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 152 MB | 215 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Hemz Studios LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1482399421) | [Fun Space Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1591562338) |

## What reviewers say

### Tether.io

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tetherio/id1493514623)

A simple, one-tap arcade game where players aim to score 10 points by tapping a ball at the precise moment to keep it spinning counter-clockwise. Master the timing to win.

**Highlights:** One-tap gameplay, Score-based objective, Counter-clockwise ball spin, Simple arcade mechanics, Timing-based challenges

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Thorn And Balloons

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thorn-and-balloons/id1611756991)

Launch a thorn ball to bounce off walls and pop all the balloons. Master strength and angle to overcome physics-based challenges and win levels. This casual game offers a relaxing yet mentally stimulating experience with abstract graphics.

**Highlights:** Launch thorn ball with adjustable strength and angle, Bouncing physics simulation, Pop balloons by contact, Multiple challenging levels, Abstract graphics, Brain-training gameplay

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

**In-app purchases (19)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $0.99 | one-time |
| Money Pack 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Hint Item Pack 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Balloon Skin | $0.99 | one-time |
| Magnet Pack 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Shield Pack 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Special Offer | $0.99 | one-time |
| Cash Pack 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Memory Item Pack 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Money Pack 2 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Hint Item Pack 2 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Memory Item Pack 2 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Shield Pack 2 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Magnet Pack 2 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $2.99 | one-time |
| Piggy Bank | $2.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads Offer | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fun and relaxing gameplay
- 👍 Satisfying balloon popping
- 🎨 Visually appealing design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 Excessive ads disrupting gameplay
- 🤯 Frustratingly difficult levels
- 🤔 Inconsistent hint/memory system

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes on launch for some users
- Progress reset or levels skipped unexpectedly

**Requested features**

- Offline mode without ads
- More level variety and progression
- Ability to create custom levels


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Tether.io free?

Tether.io is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Thorn And Balloons free?

Thorn And Balloons is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Tether.io or Thorn And Balloons?

Thorn And Balloons is rated higher. Tether.io averages 4.5 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Thorn And Balloons averages 4.7 from 52K ratings.

### Do Tether.io or Thorn And Balloons have ads?

Thorn And Balloons shows ads; Tether.io does not.

### Which is updated more often, Tether.io or Thorn And Balloons?

Tether.io ships an update every 4 months, and Thorn And Balloons every 9 days. Most recently, Tether.io was updated on October 25, 2026 and Thorn And Balloons on October 30, 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.*