Comparison

Beat the Grid vs Hex Trace Protocol

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

Head to head
About

Beat the Grid

Read full description

One line. Every cell. One deeply satisfying solve. Beat the Grid is a minimalist logic puzzle with a single rule: link every cell in one unbroken stroke. Slide your finger from cell to cell to trace your path. Cover the whole grid without crossing a wall or stepping back onto a cell you've already drawn. Easy to learn, deeply satisfying to master. A clean, neon-on-dark design and a calm pace make it the perfect puzzle to relax with — and a real brain-teaser when the grids get tricky. THREE WAYS TO PLAY • Campaign — around 100 hand-crafted levels of rising difficulty. Earn up to 3 stars per level and unlock new mechanics as you go. • Time Attack — solve as many grids as you can before the clock runs out (1, 2 or 5 minutes). Beat your best score. • Daily Puzzle — one fresh grid every day. Build a streak, chase your best time, and share your result. MASTER THE OBJECTIVES Special levels add optional twists: start on a given cell, end on another, or hit a marked cell at exactly the right step. Special cells (bombs, blockers) shake up your route. WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT • No timers or pressure in Campaign — play at your own pace. • A satisfying "one perfect line" feeling on every solve. • Free and fair: a single optional purchase removes ads — that's it. No energy system, no paywalls, no pay-to-win. • Achievements, streaks and personal bests to chase. • Colour-blind mode and reduced-motion support. • Plays great offline. Trace the line. Beat the grid.

About

Hex Trace Protocol

Features
Read full description

Hex Trace Protocol is a casual puzzle game focused on observation and focus recognition. Players are presented with a futuristic neon hexagonal grid where a glowing path briefly appears. After the path disappears, players must recreate the sequence by tapping the correct hex tiles in order. As scores rise, paths grow longer and challenges become tougher, requiring sharp focus and careful visual tracking to succeed. The game features a cyberpunk neon interface with animated hex grids, glowing effects, and smooth feedback animations. Players can challenge themselves to achieve higher scores while unlocking achievements and tracking their statistics. Main Features: • Dynamic neon path generation • High score challenge gameplay • Cyberpunk hex grid visual style • Local leaderboard system • Achievement system • Player statistics tracking • Pause and resume gameplay • Game over results with performance statistics • Beginner-friendly How-To-Play guide on the home screen The goal of the game is to sharpen focus, visual awareness, and concentration while delivering a relaxing puzzle experience.

Screenshots

Beat the Grid4 screens
Hex Trace Protocol4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Hex Trace Protocol at none against Beat the Grid's 1. Hex Trace Protocol also leads on update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 19 months) and device support. On price and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. Beat the Grid sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Hex Trace Protocol asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Beat the Grid ships an update every 19 months, Hex Trace Protocol every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Ā· 3 level
Beat the Grid versus Hex Trace Protocol: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBeat the GridHex Trace Protocol
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 19 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
Ads—No
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Devices—iPhone, iPod — better
Requires iOS15.015
Further details — not scored
Size42 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperWhy not an appAlbertine Reid

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Beat the Grid

One-time1
  • Unlimited lives !$1.99
None

Hex Trace Protocol

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Beat the Grid free?
Beat the Grid is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Hex Trace Protocol free?
Hex Trace Protocol is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which is updated more often, Beat the Grid or Hex Trace Protocol?
Beat the Grid ships an update every 19 months, and Hex Trace Protocol every 6 weeks. Most recently, Beat the Grid was updated on October 3, 2026 and Hex Trace Protocol on October 1, 2026.

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