# Melon vs Playground Mod

The clearest difference is rating: Melon at 4.5 against Playground Mod's 4.0. Melon also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and review sentiment (77% vs 56%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Melon sells 26 in-app purchases, starting at $3.49 per 7 days and Playground Mod sells 15 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Melon holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Melon has 138K ratings behind it against 4.6K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of Melon's written reviews are positive against 56% of Playground Mod's.

Melon ships an update weekly, Playground Mod every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Melon | Playground Mod |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (138K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/melon-sandbox/id1610874732/reviews)** | [4.0 (4.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/playground-mod/id6477358134/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **138K** | 4.6K |
| Positive reviews | **76.9% of reviews** | 55.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#27** | — |
| Size | 522 MB | 1.7 GB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Payge Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1653289615) | [Vladimir Chernenko](https://appshunter.io/developer/1396190582) |

## What reviewers say

### Melon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/melon-sandbox/id1610874732)

**Currently charting:** #27 Top Free · Simulation, #103 Top Grossing · Simulation, #184 Top Free · Games (US App Store)

Unleash your creativity in a chaotic sandbox game. Experiment with realistic ragdoll physics, a massive arsenal of weapons, and custom devices to create mayhem. Explore open worlds and build your own playground for destructive fun.

**Highlights:** Realistic ragdoll physics, Massive arsenal of weapons, Custom device creation, Open-world sandbox maps, Brutal experiments, Destructive fun

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

**In-app purchases (26)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Membership - 1 Week | $3.49 | per 7 days |
| Melon Premium 1 Month | $9.99 | per month |
| Pile of Mels | $0.59 | one-time |
| Heap of Mels | $0.99 | one-time |
| First Buy Offer | $0.99 | one-time |
| Bunch of Dices | $4.99 | one-time |
| Bucket of Mels | $4.99 | one-time |
| First Buy Offer | $4.99 | one-time |
| Small Box of SlimeCoins | $4.99 | one-time |
| Small Box of Stars | $4.99 | one-time |
| Small Box of Easter Eggs | $4.99 | one-time |
| Small Box of Clovers | $4.99 | one-time |
| Small Box of Valentines | $5.59 | one-time |
| Small Gifts Box | $5.59 | one-time |
| Barrel of Mels | $9.99 | one-time |
| First Buy Offer | $9.99 | one-time |
| Medium Box of Valentines | $13.99 | one-time |
| Medium Gifts Box | $13.99 | one-time |
| Medium Box of Stars | $14.99 | one-time |
| Medium Box of Easter Eggs | $14.99 | one-time |
| Medium Box of Clovers | $14.99 | one-time |
| Chest of Mels | $19.99 | one-time |
| Big Gifts Box | $24.99 | one-time |
| Cart of Mels | $49.99 | one-time |
| Lot of Mels | $99.99 | one-time |
| Huge Gifts Box | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great mobile alternative to People Playground
- 👍 Lots of creative possibilities
- 🎨 Customizable characters and scenarios
- 💡 Unique fruit/vegetable characters
- 👍 Addictive and fun gameplay

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs with save system and resizing
- 🔍 Limited camera controls
- 🔍 Lack of detailed instructions
- 🔋 Frequent ads interrupting gameplay
- 🔍 Limited character and clothing options

**Reported bugs**

- Saved creations glitching or disappearing
- Resizing issues causing damage to characters
- Ads with no close button, forcing app restart
- Inconsistent character behavior and animations

**Requested features**

- More character options (grapes, bananas, etc.)
- Additional weapons, vehicles, and items
- Ability to create custom maps
- Improved physics and gore effects
- Mod support and customization on iOS


### Playground Mod

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/playground-mod/id6477358134)

Explore a vast open world with diverse maps and unique characters. Customize your avatar, build your empire, and embark on thrilling journeys with various transport options. Regular updates keep the adventure fresh.

**Highlights:** Open-world exploration, Character customization, Intuitive construction mechanics, Diverse maps and characters, Multiple transport modes, Continuous content updates

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

**In-app purchases (15)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 100 Gold Coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| Zombie Boss | $1.99 | one-time |
| Gold crowbar | $1.99 | one-time |
| Rainbow Huggy | $2.99 | one-time |
| No Ads | $3.99 | one-time |
| Alphabet Characters | $4.99 | one-time |
| 500 Gold Coins | $5.99 | one-time |
| New Titans Pack | $7.99 | one-time |
| Xmas pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Sonics Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Halldivers pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Toilets Characters Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| 1,100 Gold Coins | $11.99 | one-time |
| Titans Mecha Pack | $12.99 | one-time |
| Global pack | $34.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and enjoyable game
- 🚀 Decent graphics and physics
- 💡 Ability to spawn various characters

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Too many ads disrupting gameplay
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🔋 High battery consumption

**Reported bugs**

- Inconsistent character colors and visuals
- Inability to interact with or control spawned characters
- Unlock issues with certain content packs

**Requested features**

- Add more characters from popular franchises
- Implement multiplayer functionality
- Improve character abilities and behaviors
- Reduce reliance on ads or offer ad-free option


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Melon free?

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

### Is Playground Mod free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Melon or Playground Mod?

Melon is rated higher. Melon averages 4.5 out of 5 from 138K ratings, while Playground Mod averages 4.0 from 4.6K ratings.

### Do Melon or Playground Mod have ads?

Both Melon and Playground Mod show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Melon or Playground Mod?

Melon ships an update weekly, and Playground Mod every 2 months. Most recently, Melon was updated on September 25, 2026 and Playground Mod on September 22, 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.*