Comparison

Trace vs Scale

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

Head to head
About

Trace

Draw your own path through challenging levels in this casual platformer. Navigate obstacles and reach the goal using the touch screen to create platforms. Enjoy unique worlds and test your skills with high scores.

Highlights
  • Draw custom paths
  • Navigate obstacles
  • Reach level goals
  • 6 unique worlds
  • 120 levels
  • High score challenges
Features
Read full description

We've finally released Trace 2! If you've enjoyed this game over the years, please consider supporting us and go check it out :D Trace is a casual platformer where you draw your own path through the levels. Use the touch screen to draw platforms and navigate past obstacles to reach to goal at the end of each level. The game is easy to pick up and play anytime, and high scores add another level of challenge. • 6 Unique Worlds • 120 Levels • Original Soundtrack • Free! ______________________________________ "Trace is a refreshingly new and brilliantly simple game" — iPhonefootprint.com "8/10 ... GO GET THIS GAME. NOW. Trace ranks close to many of the existing great free games like Aurora Feint and TTR in the fact that it is very well developed, and contains quite a bit of content." — iphonegamenetwork.com ______________________________________ Current high score time: 100%, 11:46:33 - Daniel G. Mayard Email the support email with a picture of your time to get it posted here!

About

Scale

Strategically cut a board to capture space while avoiding moving balls. Offers both tap-to-play and drag-and-drop controls for a fluid experience. Compete on leaderboards and collect in-game items.

Highlights
  • Strategic board cutting
  • Avoid moving balls
  • Tap-to-play controls
  • Drag-and-drop precision
  • Leaderboard competition
  • Collect diamonds
Features
Read full description

Scale is an addictive and captivating arcade puzzle game that challenges you to strategically place and time your cuts on the board, avoiding the constantly moving balls to create thrilling gameplay. Now with Tap-to-Play, you can simply tap the board to make your cuts, offering an intuitive and fluid playing experience. Prefer the classic method? No worries—drag and drop for precision cuts remains an option, giving you complete control over how you play. Get ready to challenge your mind and have loads of fun! This game is free, supported by ads related to the game’s content. You can disable ads at any time by purchasing the “No Ads” option. How to Play: It’s simple! Just cut the board, but be strategic—keep an eye on the balls. If you touch a ball before completing your cut, you lose a life. Achieving a ‘Perfect Move’ by passing the level in one move three times gives you an extra life. Boost your score, collect diamonds, and rise up the leaderboard. Compete with friends and see who can dominate in this thrilling game. Dive into ‘Scale’ now and find out just how far you can go in this top arcade game!

Screenshots

Trace4 screens
Scale4 screens

Verdict

The call

Trace and Scale both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 92% of Trace's written reviews are positive against 55% of Scale's. Trace also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ads (none vs shown). Scale's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 10 months) and ratings volume (50K vs 128). On price, rating 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

Both are free to download. Scale sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Trace asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Scale holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Scale has 50K ratings behind it against 128, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 92% of Trace's written reviews are positive against 55% of Scale's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Trace ships an update every 10 months, Scale weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Trace versus Scale: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTraceScale
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (128 ratings)4.7 (50K ratings) — better
Positive reviews92.5% of reviews — better54.5% of reviews
Number of ratings12850K — better
Update frequencyEvery 10 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS8.0 — better11.0
Further details — not scored
Size30 MB75 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKevin CalderoneUnforced Error LLC

Customer experience

Trace

All ratings128 ratings
Positive86.7%
Neutral2.3%
Negative10.9%
Written reviews770 reviews
Positive92.5%
Neutral2.5%
Negative5.1%

Scale

All ratings50,466 ratings
Positive92.3%
Neutral4.5%
Negative3.1%
Written reviews1,262 reviews
Positive54.5%
Neutral8.3%
Negative37.2%

User reviews

Trace

From 128 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Addictive and fun
  • 🎨 Unique and creative gameplay
  • 👍 Lots of levels and content
  • 💰 Free app with great value

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Unresponsive controls
  • 🤯 Challenging and frustrating at times
  • 🎨 Basic graphics

Scale

From 50K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 💎 Addictive gameplay
  • 🎨 Colorful and visually appealing
  • 🕹️ Fun and challenging
  • 🆓 Free to play

Room to improve

  • 🔍 Excessive ads and pop-ups
  • 🐛 Glitches and bugs
  • 🔁 Repetitive gameplay
  • 🤔 Unclear game mechanics

Bugs and requests

Trace

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Crashes on certain devices
  • Issues with drawing precision

Requested features

4 requests
  • More levels and worlds
  • Ability to customize character
  • Pause button
  • Undo/eraser function

Scale

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Levels not unlocking properly
  • Inconsistent ball physics
  • Freezing and crashes

Requested features

4 requests
  • More game modes and levels
  • Ability to save progress
  • Option to disable ads
  • Improved performance and stability

In-app purchases

None

Trace

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Scale

One-time4
  • 3000 Diamonds$2.99
  • No Ads$2.99
  • 7000 Diamonds$3.99
Show 1 more
  • 15000 Diamonds$4.99

Questions

Is Trace free?
Trace is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Scale free?
Scale is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Trace or Scale?
Scale is rated higher. Trace averages 4.5 out of 5 from 128 ratings, while Scale averages 4.7 from 50K ratings.
Do Trace or Scale have ads?
Scale shows ads; Trace does not.
Which is updated more often, Trace or Scale?
Trace ships an update every 10 months, and Scale weekly. Most recently, Trace was updated on September 29, 2026 and Scale on October 5, 2026.

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