# NineGaps vs Ice Bot

The clearest difference is rating: Ice Bot at 4.8 against NineGaps's 4.0. Ice Bot also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 26 months). NineGaps's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ads (none vs shown). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Ice Bot sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. NineGaps asks for nothing beyond the download.

Ice Bot holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 10 and 24 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 88% of NineGaps's written reviews are positive against 83% of Ice Bot's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

NineGaps ships an update every 26 months, Ice Bot every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NineGaps | Ice Bot |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ninegaps/id317223443/reviews) | **[4.8 (24 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ice-bot-sliding-block-puzzle/id6745772606/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 10 | **24** |
| Positive reviews | **88.1% of reviews** | 83.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 26 months | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 72 MB | 193 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.3** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Quadion Technologies LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/317223446) | [Maksym Dzitsiuk](https://appshunter.io/developer/1191062781) |

## What reviewers say

### NineGaps

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ninegaps/id317223443)

This is a challenging puzzle game where you place numbers 1-9 into gaps, matching operations. It offers a unique twist on number puzzles with multiple difficulty levels and endless replayability.

**Highlights:** Unique puzzle gameplay, Cute graphics, 5 difficulty levels, Unlimited puzzles, Leaderboards and achievements, GameCenter integration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🧠 Excellent brain training and mental math improvement
- 🎮 Simple yet challenging gameplay mechanics
- 🎨 Clean, polished, and attractive visual design
- ⏱️ Quick games perfect for short waiting periods
- 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Suitable for multiple age groups and skill levels

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔊 Loud sound effects that cannot be controlled properly
- 💾 No game saving feature when closing app
- 🧮 Does not follow proper order of operations (PEMDAS)
- 🔴 Occasional crashes or app not opening
- 🎮 Limited replay value after extended play

**Reported bugs**

- Sound effects stop working intermittently
- App crashes or fails to open on launch
- Sound volume settings not saving between sessions
- OpenFeint achievements not awarding properly
- Mathematical calculation errors in some puzzles

**Requested features**

- Solution/reveal button to show answers when stuck
- Hint system for difficult puzzles
- Game auto-save functionality
- Persistent sound settings across sessions
- Global leaderboards for competition


### Ice Bot

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ice-bot-sliding-block-puzzle/id6745772606)

Guide a robot across icy grids by sliding colored blocks to their targets. This logic puzzle game offers over 60 handcrafted levels with no timers or paywalls. Hints and optional content are available, with a focus on a relaxing, ad-supported experience.

**Highlights:** Sliding block puzzles, Handcrafted levels, No timer, Unlimited undo, Colorblind mode, Hints available

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Jar of Gems | $0.99 | one-time |
| Box of Gems | $2.99 | one-time |
| Crate of Gems | $6.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NineGaps free?

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

### Is Ice Bot free?

Ice Bot is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, NineGaps or Ice Bot?

Ice Bot is rated higher. NineGaps averages 4.0 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while Ice Bot averages 4.8 from 24 ratings.

### Do NineGaps or Ice Bot have ads?

Ice Bot shows ads; NineGaps does not.

### Which is updated more often, NineGaps or Ice Bot?

NineGaps ships an update every 26 months, and Ice Bot every 5 days. Most recently, NineGaps was updated on October 31, 2026 and Ice Bot on November 8, 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.*