# Gradient Sort vs Color Merge Puzzle

Gradient Sort and Color Merge Puzzle both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 42% of Gradient Sort's written reviews are positive against 22% of Color Merge Puzzle's. Color Merge Puzzle's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.2). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Gradient Sort sells 11 one-off in-app purchases and Color Merge Puzzle sells 11 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 — 4.5 for Gradient Sort against 4.5 for Color Merge Puzzle. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4.6K and 3.8K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 42% of Gradient Sort's written reviews are positive against 22% of Color Merge Puzzle's.

Gradient Sort ships an update weekly, Color Merge Puzzle every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Gradient Sort | Color Merge Puzzle |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (4.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gradient-sort/id1644068469/reviews) | **[4.5 (3.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/color-merge-puzzle/id6449178197/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **4.6K** | 3.8K |
| Positive reviews | **41.5% of reviews** | 22.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 350 MB | 270 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.2 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Popcore GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1375461777) | [SUPERSONIC STUDIOS LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1499845738) |

## What reviewers say

### Gradient Sort

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gradient-sort/id1644068469)

Engage in a visually pleasing color sorting puzzle game. Arrange shades of colors in the correct order to achieve perfect color harmony and a relaxing, meditative experience. This game offers a unique take on coloring and shade sorting mechanics.

**Highlights:** Color sorting puzzle mechanic, Visually pleasing gradients, Relaxing gameplay, Achieve color harmony, Meditative experience

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

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bunch of cash | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pack for Hint Booster | $1.99 | one-time |
| Skip Tickets | $1.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $2.99 | one-time |
| 30 Days of Cash | $3.99 | one-time |
| Permanent Worker | $3.99 | one-time |
| Stack of Cash | $3.99 | one-time |
| Pile of Cash | $8.99 | one-time |
| Bag of Cash | $17.99 | one-time |
| Regular pack of Hint Booster | $19.99 | one-time |
| Big pack for Hint Booster | $59.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Relaxing color sorting
- 👍 Enjoyable gameplay
- 💡 Unique puzzle concept

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent glitches and bugs
- 📺 Excessive ads
- 🔍 Small puzzle pieces difficult to interact with

**Reported bugs**

- Puzzle screen becomes zoomed in and unresponsive
- Hints not working as expected
- Puzzle pieces not registering correctly

**Requested features**

- Zoom in/out functionality
- Option to remove ads
- Ability to save progress and resume levels


### Color Merge Puzzle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/color-merge-puzzle/id6449178197)

This app challenges you to mix basic colors to create specific shades needed to complete puzzles. Progress through levels, unlock famous paintings, and use helpful tools like undo and reveal to master color mixing.

**Highlights:** Drag and drop color mixing, Match target hues, Undo and reset options, Reveal color gradients, Unlock famous paintings, Creative color exploration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Infinite Health | $0.99 | one-time |
| No ADs | $1.99 | one-time |
| Special Offer | $2.99 | one-time |
| Special Offer with No ADs | $2.99 | one-time |
| 500 gems | $5.99 | one-time |
| Big Bundle | $6.99 | one-time |
| Big Bundle with No ADs | $6.99 | one-time |
| Super Bundle | $12.99 | one-time |
| Super Bundle with No ADs | $12.99 | one-time |
| Huge Bundle with No ADs | $24.99 | one-time |
| Brilliant Bundle | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Relaxing and enjoyable gameplay
- 👍 Fun color mixing mechanics
- 💡 Variety of challenges and levels

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitches and bugs, especially at higher levels
- 🔁 Repetitive and monotonous after a while
- 💸 Excessive ads that disrupt gameplay
- 🤖 Unresponsive or non-functioning features (e.g., hints)

**Reported bugs**

- Game freezing or becoming unplayable at level 56
- Inability to progress past certain levels due to glitches
- Hint feature not working as intended

**Requested features**

- More level variety and complexity
- Option to disable distracting animations
- Ability to reuse mixed colors
- Stationary placement of in-game UI elements


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Gradient Sort free?

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

### Is Color Merge Puzzle free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Gradient Sort or Color Merge Puzzle?

Color Merge Puzzle is rated higher. Gradient Sort averages 4.5 out of 5 from 4.6K ratings, while Color Merge Puzzle averages 4.5 from 3.8K ratings.

### Do Gradient Sort or Color Merge Puzzle have ads?

Both Gradient Sort and Color Merge Puzzle show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Gradient Sort or Color Merge Puzzle?

Gradient Sort ships an update weekly, and Color Merge Puzzle every 4 days. Most recently, Gradient Sort was updated on October 24, 2026 and Color Merge Puzzle on October 23, 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.*