# Merge Grabber vs Smash Runner!

The clearest difference is update cadence: Smash Runner! at weekly against Merge Grabber's every 3 weeks. On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Merge Grabber sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Smash Runner! sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Merge Grabber against 4.6 for Smash Runner!. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 15K and 14K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 19% of Merge Grabber's written reviews are positive against 22% of Smash Runner!'s.

Merge Grabber ships an update every 3 weeks, Smash Runner! weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Merge Grabber | Smash Runner! |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (15K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merge-grabber/id1615819431/reviews) | **[4.6 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smash-runner/id1641058310/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **15K** | 14K |
| Positive reviews | 19.5% of reviews | **21.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 249 MB | 258 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Voodoo](https://appshunter.io/developer/714804730) | [Rollic Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/1452111779) |

## What reviewers say

### Merge Grabber

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merge-grabber/id1615819431)

Engage in classic 2048-style gameplay to collect characters and boost your firepower.  Strategically merge numbers to build a powerful force capable of defeating the zombie army.

**Highlights:** Classic 2048 gameplay, Character collection, Increase firepower, Crush zombie army, Strategic merging

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| No Ads | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun game
- 💡 Helps pass time
- 🤑 Cheap no-ads option

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔥 Overheats device
- 🐛 Freezes/glitches at high scores
- 💸 Too many ads
- 🤯 Frustrating bugs
- 🤖 Repetitive levels

**Reported bugs**

- Map freezes at high scores
- Negative cash balance glitch
- Crashes on older devices

**Requested features**

- Add difficulty levels
- Improve map navigation
- Faster upgrade process
- Fix high score issues


### Smash Runner!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smash-runner/id1641058310)

Embark on a colorful adventure where you collect layers to grow larger. Become big enough to smash through blocks and experience the satisfying feeling of destroying cubes.

**Highlights:** Collect layers, Grow bigger, Smash blocks, Colorful adventure, Cube smashing

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

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

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fun and satisfying gameplay
- 👍 Unique and engaging concept
- 💡 Potential for more levels

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔋 Drains battery quickly
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 📺 Excessive and intrusive ads
- 🤔 Misleading advertising

**Reported bugs**

- Game freezes and crashes at higher levels
- Levels not loading or resetting progress
- Unresponsive controls and gameplay issues

**Requested features**

- Add an ad-free option
- Improve level progression and difficulty scaling
- Fix stability issues and crashes


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Merge Grabber free?

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

### Is Smash Runner! free?

Smash Runner! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Merge Grabber or Smash Runner!?

Smash Runner! is rated higher. Merge Grabber averages 4.6 out of 5 from 15K ratings, while Smash Runner! averages 4.6 from 14K ratings.

### Do Merge Grabber or Smash Runner! have ads?

Both Merge Grabber and Smash Runner! show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Merge Grabber or Smash Runner!?

Merge Grabber ships an update every 3 weeks, and Smash Runner! weekly. Most recently, Merge Grabber was updated on September 20, 2026 and Smash Runner! on September 22, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*