# lava digger vs Ground Digger!

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: lava digger at none against Ground Digger!'s 16. lava digger also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (60% vs 41%). Ground Digger!'s advantage is ratings volume (7.1K vs 7) and update cadence (every 10 days vs every 5 weeks). On price, rating and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Ground Digger! sells 16 one-off in-app purchases. lava digger asks for nothing beyond the download.

lava digger holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ground Digger! has 7.1K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of lava digger's written reviews are positive against 41% of Ground Digger!'s.

lava digger ships an update every 5 weeks, Ground Digger! every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | lava digger | Ground Digger! |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lava-digger-fun-mining-game/id1498494976/reviews)** | [4.4 (7.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ground-digger/id1597728243/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 7 | **7.1K** |
| Positive reviews | **60.0% of reviews** | 41.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 157 MB | 219 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 12.5 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [霖 丁](https://appshunter.io/developer/1498494975) | [HOMA GAMES](https://appshunter.io/developer/1508492426) |

## What reviewers say

### lava digger

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lava-digger-fun-mining-game/id1498494976)

Embark on an underground adventure collecting ore and upgrading your drill chariot. Explore diverse environments, overcome obstacles, and assemble powerful harvesters to uncover endless treasures. Become the ultimate driver in this mining exploration game.

**Highlights:** Drill chariot driving, Ore collection, Harvester upgrades, Underground exploration, Obstacle challenges, Component assembly

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Ground Digger!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ground-digger/id1597728243)

Become a treasure hunter and dig deep into the earth with your drilling machine. Collect gems, find hidden keys, and unlock powerful boosters to progress faster. Upgrade your equipment and explore various biomes to reach the Center of the Earth.

**Highlights:** Build and upgrade drilling machines, Collect gems and treasures, Find hidden keys to unlock secret zones, Unlock powerful boosters, Customize machines with skins and mini-bots, Explore sand, ice, and lava biomes

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

**In-app purchases (16)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Companion Limit | $1.99 | one-time |
| Double Fuel | $1.99 | one-time |
| No Ads | $2.99 | one-time |
| Small Chest | $2.99 | one-time |
| Size Upgrade 1 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Size Upgrade 3 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Size Upgrade 2 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Large Chest | $3.99 | one-time |
| Destroyer Skin Bundle | $3.99 | one-time |
| Digger Skin Starter Pack | $3.99 | one-time |
| Golden Skin Bundle | $3.99 | one-time |
| Extra Starter Bundle | $3.99 | one-time |
| Small Starter Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Golden Skin Bundle | $7.99 | one-time |
| Small Starter Bundle | $9.99 | one-time |
| Extra Starter Bundle | $15.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and entertaining
- 🚀 Addictive gameplay
- 💡 Great concept

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Repetitive gameplay
- 🔋 Drains battery quickly
- 🔒 Lack of privacy controls
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs

**Reported bugs**

- Progress reset without warning
- Inability to progress past certain levels
- Drill size and power upgrades not working as expected

**Requested features**

- More upgrades and customization options
- Ability to reset progress and start over
- Improved mini-bot functionality
- Reduced ad frequency or ad-free option


## Frequently asked questions

### Is lava digger free?

lava digger is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Ground Digger! free?

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

### Which has better reviews, lava digger or Ground Digger!?

lava digger is rated higher. lava digger averages 4.6 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while Ground Digger! averages 4.4 from 7.1K ratings.

### Do lava digger or Ground Digger! have ads?

Ground Digger! shows ads; lava digger does not.

### Which is updated more often, lava digger or Ground Digger!?

lava digger ships an update every 5 weeks, and Ground Digger! every 10 days. Most recently, lava digger was updated on October 3, 2026 and Ground Digger! on October 18, 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.*