# Manic Marble vs Bust A Marble

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Manic Marble at none against Bust A Marble's 2. Manic Marble also leads on rating (4.3 vs 4.1) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). Bust A Marble's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (545 vs 13). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bust A Marble sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Manic Marble asks for nothing beyond the download.

Manic Marble holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bust A Marble has 545 ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 71% of Manic Marble's written reviews are positive against 87% of Bust A Marble's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Manic Marble ships an update every 4 months, Bust A Marble fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Manic Marble | Bust A Marble |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/manic-marble/id304071484/reviews)** | [4.1 (545 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bust-a-marble/id400486570/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 13 | **545** |
| Positive reviews | 71.0% of reviews | **87.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 8 MB | 49 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Rich Olson](https://appshunter.io/developer/292136583) | [Fairlady Media](https://appshunter.io/developer/298297614) |

## What reviewers say

### Manic Marble

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/manic-marble/id304071484)

Guide a marble through challenging 3D levels using your device's motion controls. Tilt and turn to navigate obstacles and beat the clock to unlock new stages. Experience vibrant graphics and an original soundtrack.

**Highlights:** Guide marble through 3D levels, Tilt and turn controls, Dodge moving obstacles, Unlock levels by beating par time, 3D graphics and physics, Original soundtrack

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Addictive gameplay
- 👍 Challenging levels
- 👍 Fun and entertaining
- 👍 Good value (on sale)
- 👍 Great physics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 👎 Too hard for some
- 👎 Low graphics quality
- 👎 Not enough levels
- 👎 Controls can be tricky
- 👎 High battery consumption

**Reported bugs**

- Controls not sensitive enough
- Controls too sensitive
- Steering sensitivity needs improvement
- Hard to steer on sharp turns
- Doesn't turn when needed

**Requested features**

- More levels
- New themes
- Map maker
- Option to listen to own music
- Reset button


### Bust A Marble

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bust-a-marble/id400486570)

Connect strings of like-colored marbles to clear the board and meet score goals before time runs out. Unlock power-ups with bonus marbles and enjoy dazzling special effects and music. Compete with friends through Game Center achievements.

**Highlights:** Connect like-colored marbles, Score goals before time runs out, Unlock power-ups with bonus marbles, 20 levels of gameplay, Game Center achievements, Advanced special effects and sound

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Game Unlock | $0.99 | one-time |
| Bust A Marble - No Ads! | $0.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Manic Marble free?

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

### Is Bust A Marble free?

Bust A Marble is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Manic Marble or Bust A Marble?

Manic Marble is rated higher. Manic Marble averages 4.3 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while Bust A Marble averages 4.1 from 545 ratings.

### Do Manic Marble or Bust A Marble have ads?

Neither Manic Marble nor Bust A Marble shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Manic Marble or Bust A Marble?

Manic Marble ships an update every 4 months, and Bust A Marble fortnightly. Most recently, Manic Marble was updated on October 31, 2026 and Bust A Marble on November 6, 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.*