# Snowball vs Swimming Upstream

The clearest difference is rating: Swimming Upstream at 4.6 against Snowball's 2.9. Swimming Upstream also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 9 months) and review sentiment (75% vs 48%). Snowball's advantage is ratings volume (185 vs 38). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Swimming Upstream holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 185 and 38 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 48% of Snowball's written reviews are positive against 75% of Swimming Upstream's.

Snowball ships an update every 9 months, Swimming Upstream every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Snowball | Swimming Upstream |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.9 (185 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/snowball/id293694285/reviews) | **[4.6 (38 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swimming-upstream/id1518687873/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **185** | 38 |
| Positive reviews | 48.3% of reviews | **75.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 5 MB | 376 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Paul Ewers](https://appshunter.io/developer/301281533) | [BR Game Development LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1518687872) |

## What reviewers say

### Snowball

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/snowball/id293694285)

Guide a penguin on a journey to collect snowflakes and build a giant snowball. Navigate treacherous crumbling floors with simple swipe or tilt controls. Enjoy an ad-free and purchase-free gaming experience.

**Highlights:** Collect snowflakes, Build a snowball, Crumbling floor mechanic, Swipe controls, Tilt controls option, No ads, No in-app purchases

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and entertaining
- 👍 Addictive gameplay
- 👍 Great time waster
- 👍 Cool graphics
- 👍 Simple to pick up and play

**What reviewers complain about**

- 👎 Not worth the price
- 👎 Lacks features
- 👎 Repetitive gameplay
- 👎 Annoying music
- 👎 Poor controls (older versions)

**Reported bugs**

- Poker invite message appears every time
- Sound plays even on vibrate

**Requested features**

- Add levels
- Add mission mode
- Add unlockable characters
- Option to turn off sound
- Remove poker invite message


### Swimming Upstream

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swimming-upstream/id1518687873)

Guide a turtle upstream, dodging obstacles like rocks and fish. Collect gold to unlock new characters and lily pads to restore energy. Explore diverse environments and compete on leaderboards.

**Highlights:** Thrilling reflex-based gameplay, Collect gold for new characters, Gather lily pads to restore energy, Explore diverse biomes, Compete on global leaderboards

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Snowball free?

Snowball is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Swimming Upstream free?

Swimming Upstream is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Snowball or Swimming Upstream?

Swimming Upstream is rated higher. Snowball averages 2.9 out of 5 from 185 ratings, while Swimming Upstream averages 4.6 from 38 ratings.

### Do Snowball or Swimming Upstream have ads?

Neither Snowball nor Swimming Upstream shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Snowball or Swimming Upstream?

Snowball ships an update every 9 months, and Swimming Upstream every 3 weeks. Most recently, Snowball was updated on November 6, 2026 and Swimming Upstream on November 3, 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.*