Comparison

Idle Acorns vs Simple Match 3

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Idle Acorns

A classic idle clicker game with a charming narrative. Explore diverse environments, gather resources, craft items, and play mini-games. Enjoy a pure, ad-free experience with no in-app purchases or data mining.

Highlights
  • Resource gathering and upgrades
  • Crafting over 24 items
  • Fishing and cooking mini-game
  • Gardening and tree growing
  • Campfire for inviting characters
  • iCloud backup support
  • Game Center integration
Features
Read full description

Inspired by the classics, Idle Acorns is a fun mobile clicker game that features no advertisements, no in-app purchases, and no data-mining. Inspired by the clicker games of the old internet, Idle Acorns brings a fun narrative to the mobile clicker arena but without getting weighed down by advertisements, in-app purchases or data mining. Explore the forest and ocean with Benny the squirrel and enjoy everything from fishing, to gardening. Unlock the campfire to invite new characters, collect resources, and craft items. Featuring 4 mini-games, iCloud backup support, Game Center support, iMessage sticker pack, and more! Like classic Idle games, Idle Acorns respects time travel. Please note that time travel will disable Game Center features. Shake the tree to gather acorns. Purchase upgrades and enlist scavengers to collect acorns while you are away! Sell your acorns, and unlock new areas in the shop. Speak with Benny the squirrel to navigate your adventure. Cast your line, and catch fish in the ocean. Open the map to visit your acres of land, or upgrade your offline collection. Unlock the campfire and invite all new characters. Trade resources and buy recipes to craft over 24 new items. - Forge diamonds and buy upgrades - Go fishing and cook fish - Buy land and grow trees - Unlock the campfire and trade resources - Buy recipes and craft items - 4 Mini-Games - Share resources with friends - Lots of character dialogue - Seasonal events - iCloud backup support - Game Center leaderboards and achievements - iMessage sticker pack IMPORTANT: iPhone SE (2016 First Generation) and iPod touch are not supported.

About

Simple Match 3

This is a relaxing puzzle game where you swap tiles to make matches of three. Unlock hundreds of unique tiles, customize your game's appearance, and enjoy satisfying effects. It offers a peaceful experience without ads or excessive story elements.

Highlights
  • No ads or subscriptions
  • Hundreds of unique tiles
  • Customizable appearance
  • Daily levels with leaderboards
  • Zen Mode for relaxation
  • Satisfying visual effects
  • Achievements and boosters
Features
Read full description

Simple Match 3 is a relaxing and challenging puzzle game with absolutely no ads. Swap tiles and make matches of 3 to clear levels. Unlock hundreds of unique tiles and customize to fit your style. Discover a variety of different elements and mechanics as you progress through the game. Use satisfying boosters and power ups. Unlike most match-3 games, Simple Match 3 was created to give players a relaxing and satisfying experience, without annoying ads, obnoxious effects, or time wasting story elements. FEATURES: No ads: Absolutely no ads or subscription purchases. The base price includes 350 levels, a unique daily level with leaderboard, and zen mode. 1 small in-app purchase unlocks even more. Customization: Customize to your heart’s content with hundreds of different tiles and lots of different background colors. You can even choose the color of the user interface buttons to match your theme! Daily Level: Play a unique level every single day. Try to make it to the top of the online leaderboard! Zen Mode: Relax and make matches with no move limits, no goals, and limited obstacles in Zen Mode. Satisfying experience: Enjoy super satisfying effects as you clear tiles, smash through crates, destroy glass, and more! The effects were created to be satisfying, without being too obnoxious or overwhelming. Achievements: Complete a variety of achievements to unlock more tiles. Boosters: Spin the prize wheel every day to gain boosters. You can also get even more boosters by completing the daily goal. Handcrafted levels: Play through 350 handcrafted levels and try to earn 3 stars. Some levels are simple, others are more challenging. Discover a variety of unique elements as you progress. If you want more, 1 small in app purchase unlocks 350 more levels. Created with love and care: Developed by a single person with care. Levels are designed to be fun, challenging, and satisfying without the need to purchase endless boosters. Download Simple Match 3 today and see what makes it so special!

Screenshots

Idle Acorns4 screens
Simple Match 34 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Idle Acorns at none against Simple Match 3's 1. Idle Acorns also leads on ratings volume (1.2K vs 247). Simple Match 3's advantage is review sentiment (90% vs 60%) and update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Idle Acorns costs $1.99 and Simple Match 3 $1.99 up front. Simple Match 3 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Idle Acorns asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Idle Acorns against 4.8 for Simple Match 3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.2K and 247 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 60% of Idle Acorns's written reviews are positive against 90% of Simple Match 3's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Idle Acorns ships an update every 6 weeks, Simple Match 3 weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Idle Acorns versus Simple Match 3: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterIdle AcornsSimple Match 3
Price$1.99$1.99
Rating4.8 (1.2K ratings)4.8 (247 ratings)
Positive reviews60.2% of reviews90.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.2K — better247
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
Best chart rank—#44 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.1 — better14.0
Further details — not scored
Size149 MB463 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developeraleros.io LLCMulberry Tree Games, LLC

Customer experience

Idle Acorns

All ratings1,216 ratings
Positive94.9%
Neutral1.5%
Negative3.6%
Written reviews108 reviews
Positive60.2%
Neutral10.2%
Negative29.6%

Simple Match 3

All ratings247 ratings
Positive93.9%
Neutral2.8%
Negative3.2%
Written reviews191 reviews
Positive90.1%
Neutral6.3%
Negative3.7%

User reviews

Idle Acorns

From 1.2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Charming and relaxing
  • 👍 No ads or in-app purchases
  • 🎨 Pleasant aesthetics
  • 🕹️ Satisfying gameplay loop
  • 💰 Good value for money

Room to improve

  • ⏱️ Slow progression and pacing
  • 🔍 Unclear mechanics and lack of explanation
  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches
  • 🔌 Limited offline progress
  • 🔢 Inconsistent upgrade costs

Simple Match 3

From 247 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Best Match 3 Game
  • 👍 Calming and Engaging
  • 🔒 No Ads or IAPs
  • 👍 Customizable Tiles
  • 👍 Relaxing Music and Sound Effects

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Bugs in Higher Levels
  • 🐛 Impossible Levels Due to Missing Obstacles
  • 🐛 Soft Locks with Rainbow Tiles
  • 🐛 Reward Box Tapping Issue
  • 🐛 Inconsistent Star Rating System

Bugs and requests

Idle Acorns

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Tree disappearing issue
  • Bat not recognizing feather purchases
  • Zoom and UI issues on certain devices
  • Negative acorn balance after time manipulation

Requested features

5 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • More late-game content
  • Improved UI and navigation
  • Better explanation of game mechanics
  • Increased offline progress

Simple Match 3

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Levels with Missing Obstacles
  • Reward Box Tapping Issue
  • Inconsistent Star Rating System
  • Soft Locks with Rainbow Tiles
  • Crashes on Opening

Requested features

6 requests
  • Level Editor
  • Endless/Survival Mode
  • Improved Power-Up Interactions
  • Hints or Shuffle Option
  • Landscape Support for iPad
Show 1 more
  • iCloud Sync Across Devices

In-app purchases

None

Idle Acorns

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Simple Match 3

One-time1
  • Simple Match 3 Gold$1.99

Questions

Is Idle Acorns free?
Idle Acorns costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Simple Match 3 free?
Simple Match 3 costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Idle Acorns or Simple Match 3?
Idle Acorns and Simple Match 3 are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1.2K and 247 ratings respectively.
Do Idle Acorns or Simple Match 3 have ads?
Neither Idle Acorns nor Simple Match 3 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Idle Acorns or Simple Match 3?
Idle Acorns ships an update every 6 weeks, and Simple Match 3 weekly. Most recently, Idle Acorns was updated on September 30, 2026 and Simple Match 3 on October 1, 2026.

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