# Mining Inc. vs Idle Sand Tycoon

Mining Inc. and Idle Sand Tycoon both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 42% of Mining Inc.'s written reviews are positive against 16% of Idle Sand Tycoon's. Mining Inc. also leads on update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (14K vs 2.6K). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Mining Inc. sells 9 one-off in-app purchases and Idle Sand Tycoon sells 13 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 — 4.7 for Mining Inc. against 4.7 for Idle Sand Tycoon. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mining Inc. has 14K ratings behind it against 2.6K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 42% of Mining Inc.'s written reviews are positive against 16% of Idle Sand Tycoon's.

Mining Inc. ships an update every 6 weeks, Idle Sand Tycoon every 3 months. Both last shipped on October 27, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mining Inc. | Idle Sand Tycoon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mining-inc/id1507179024/reviews)** | [4.7 (2.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-sand-tycoon/id6446575926/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **14K** | 2.6K |
| Positive reviews | **42.3% of reviews** | 16.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 426 MB | 211 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Green Panda Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/669978473) | [Solid Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/1625798412) |

## What reviewers say

### Mining Inc.

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mining-inc/id1507179024)

Build and manage a vast mining empire, from gold to rare gemstones. Upgrade your facilities, hire skilled managers, and collect unique boosters to maximize your production and become a trillionaire tycoon. Complete challenging quests to unlock new content and expand your operations.

**Highlights:** Discover diverse mining environments, Uncover precious gemstones like diamonds and rubies, Improve production with building upgrades, Hire and assign skilled managers, Collect unique boosters for faster growth, Complete challenging quests

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tiny Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Legendary chest | $1.99 | one-time |
| Boost | $1.99 | one-time |
| No Ads | $2.99 | one-time |
| Small Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Medium Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Great Leap | $12.99 | one-time |
| Large Pack | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Relaxing and enjoyable gameplay
- 🚀 No forced ads or pay-to-win mechanics
- 💡 Ability to earn premium currency through gameplay
- 👍 Decent graphics and animations

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and glitches, including game crashes and progress resets
- ⏱️ Slow progression due to daily bonus requirements
- 🔒 Lack of cloud save support leading to data loss
- ⚠️ Concerns about abandoned development

**Reported bugs**

- Rank up requirements not working as intended
- Diamond mine capacity not calculating correctly
- Managers not dropping as expected
- Upgrade buttons becoming locked after updates

**Requested features**

- Add more levels and content beyond rank 30
- Improve the diamond mine mechanics and balance
- Introduce new mine types (e.g., silver, ruby)
- Allow managers for the underground mine


### Idle Sand Tycoon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-sand-tycoon/id6446575926)

Build a vast sand excavation empire from humble beginnings. Expand your industry, upgrade vehicles and machines, and recruit managers to optimize production. Compete to fulfill orders and become the ultimate sand tycoon.

**Highlights:** Unlock and upgrade buildings, vehicles, and machines, Expand production lines, Discover new maps and mining forms, Recruit business managers, Fulfill orders quickly, Manage VIP customers

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

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Contains 10 Ad tickets | $0.99 | one-time |
| Diamond Pack 1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Contains 25 Ad tickets | $1.99 | one-time |
| Remove ads for 2 days | $1.99 | one-time |
| Contains 60 Ad tickets | $3.99 | one-time |
| Diamond Pack 2 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Marketing Expert | $4.99 | one-time |
| General Manager | $4.99 | one-time |
| Diamond Pack 3 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Remove ads | $9.99 | one-time |
| Diamond Pack 4 | $19.99 | one-time |
| Diamond Pack 5 | $49.99 | one-time |
| Diamond Pack 6 | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🤑 Awesome game
- 🎮 Fun gameplay
- 🎨 Nice graphics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤖 Forced ads
- 💰 Expensive to remove ads
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches

**Reported bugs**

- Excavator menu gets stuck
- Crashes and freezes
- Upgrade screen issues

**Requested features**

- Add music option
- Improve excavator menu navigation
- Reduce frequency of ads


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mining Inc. free?

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

### Is Idle Sand Tycoon free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Mining Inc. or Idle Sand Tycoon?

Mining Inc. is rated higher. Mining Inc. averages 4.7 out of 5 from 14K ratings, while Idle Sand Tycoon averages 4.7 from 2.6K ratings.

### Do Mining Inc. or Idle Sand Tycoon have ads?

Both Mining Inc. and Idle Sand Tycoon show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Mining Inc. or Idle Sand Tycoon?

Mining Inc. ships an update every 6 weeks, and Idle Sand Tycoon every 3 months. Most recently, Mining Inc. was updated on October 27, 2026 and Idle Sand Tycoon on October 27, 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.*