# Doodle Dots vs The Mancala

The clearest difference is review sentiment: The Mancala at 100% against Doodle Dots's 35%. The Mancala also leads on price (Free vs $0.99) and rating (4.8 vs 3.3). Doodle Dots's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 8 months). On in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

The Mancala is free to download; Doodle Dots costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

The Mancala holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Doodle Dots has 1.1K ratings behind it against 97, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 35% of Doodle Dots's written reviews are positive against 100% of The Mancala's.

Doodle Dots ships an update every 6 weeks, The Mancala every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Doodle Dots | The Mancala |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.3 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/doodle-dots/id324487932/reviews) | **[4.8 (97 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-mancala/id1543819600/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.1K** | 97 |
| Positive reviews | 35.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 8 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 1 MB | 207 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Big River Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/1703182774) | [UNBALANCE Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/358617691) |

## What reviewers say

### Doodle Dots

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/doodle-dots/id324487932)

Recreate the classic pencil and paper game of connecting dots to complete squares. Compete against friends or AI on various board sizes and difficulty levels. Enjoy a doodle-style aesthetic and save your progress.

**Highlights:** Connect dots to complete squares, Play against AI or another player, Multiple board sizes, Adjustable difficulty levels, Game state saved, Highlighted last move

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Fun and entertaining
- 🕰️ Good time-killer
- 💻 Classic game experience
- 🎨 Cute doodle interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤖 Inaccurate line placement
- 🎮 Unfair AI behavior
- 🔍 Difficulty seeing opponent's moves
- 🐛 Crashes and freezes

**Reported bugs**

- Lines not appearing where tapped
- Incompatibility with certain devices
- Frequent crashes and app exits

**Requested features**

- Undo button
- Slower opponent mode
- Instructions or tutorial
- Ability to choose line type


### The Mancala

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-mancala/id1543819600)

Experience an ancient board game of strategy and collection. Learn the simple rules with built-in guides and challenge yourself across ten difficulty levels. Enjoy beautiful graphics and customize your game board.

**Highlights:** Learnable rules with help feature, Play against AI or a friend, 10 difficulty levels, Customizable board and stones, Undo and hint options, Game statistics

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Doodle Dots free?

Doodle Dots costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is The Mancala free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Doodle Dots or The Mancala?

The Mancala is rated higher. Doodle Dots averages 3.3 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while The Mancala averages 4.8 from 97 ratings.

### Do Doodle Dots or The Mancala have ads?

The Mancala shows ads; Doodle Dots does not.

### Which is updated more often, Doodle Dots or The Mancala?

Doodle Dots ships an update every 6 weeks, and The Mancala every 8 months. Most recently, Doodle Dots was updated on November 10, 2026 and The Mancala 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.*