# Dots N Bars vs Shift

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Dots N Bars at none against Shift's 1. Dots N Bars also leads on ads (none vs shown). Shift's advantage is ratings volume (16 vs 3). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Shift sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Dots N Bars asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Dots N Bars against 5.0 for Shift. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shift has 16 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Dots N Bars ships an update fortnightly, Shift every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dots N Bars | Shift |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dots-n-bars/id1506870588/reviews) | [5.0 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shift-block-game/id1634123005/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **16** |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 1 MB | 20 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Apurva Mehta](https://appshunter.io/developer/1500712236) | [Travis Bogosian](https://appshunter.io/developer/962446243) |

## What reviewers say

### Dots N Bars

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dots-n-bars/id1506870588)

A simple, casual game where players match falling colored dots with a corresponding colored bar at the bottom. Enjoy a relaxing and engaging experience with this easy-to-learn puzzle game.

**Highlights:** Match colored dots, Colored bar at the bottom, Casual gameplay, Easy to learn

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Shift

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shift-block-game/id1634123005)

A relaxing block puzzle game where you group blocks by color and adapt to shifting mechanics. Plan your moves to clear groups and earn points, with increasing speed and arrow effects adding challenge. Enjoy casual play or aim for high scores in multiple game modes.

**Highlights:** Block grouping by color, Shifting block mechanics, Increasing game speed, Arrow effect challenges, Original soundtrack, Unlockable achievements

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Dots N Bars free?

Dots N Bars is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Shift free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Dots N Bars or Shift?

Dots N Bars and Shift are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 3 and 16 ratings respectively.

### Do Dots N Bars or Shift have ads?

Shift shows ads; Dots N Bars does not.

### Which is updated more often, Dots N Bars or Shift?

Dots N Bars ships an update fortnightly, and Shift every 3 weeks. Most recently, Dots N Bars was updated on October 10, 2026 and Shift on October 2, 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.*