# Gold Miner Joe vs Cogs

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Gold Miner Joe at none against Cogs's 4. Gold Miner Joe also leads on review sentiment (87% vs 55%) and price ($1.99 vs $4.99). Cogs's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 9 months). On rating, ratings volume, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Gold Miner Joe costs $1.99 and Cogs $4.99 up front. Cogs sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Gold Miner Joe asks for nothing beyond the download.

Gold Miner Joe holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 31 and 33 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 87% of Gold Miner Joe's written reviews are positive against 55% of Cogs's.

Gold Miner Joe ships an update every 9 months, Cogs every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Gold Miner Joe | Cogs |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$1.99** | $4.99 |
| Rating | **[4.8 (31 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gold-miner-joe/id327802424/reviews)** | [4.6 (33 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cogs/id351841075/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 31 | **33** |
| Positive reviews | **86.9% of reviews** | 54.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #142 | **#127** |
| Size | 15 MB | 93 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Donut Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/310068844) | [Lazy 8 Studios](https://appshunter.io/developer/343960331) |

## What reviewers say

### Gold Miner Joe

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gold-miner-joe/id327802424)

**Currently charting:** #142 Top Paid · Family (US App Store)

Embark on a retro-style adventure as Joe, a gold miner exploring glittering mines. Jump and run through 50 levels, collecting gold nuggets while evading enemies. Utilize dynamite and discover secret gems in this classic platforming experience.

**Highlights:** 50 gold mines to explore, Bonus levels with treasures, 8 secret gems to uncover, Dynamite for blowing up obstacles, Innovative swipe controls, Optional D-pad controls

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun platformer
- 🚀 Entertaining and challenging
- 💡 Retro feel
- 👍 Good value for money

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Checkpoint issues
- 👎 Small graphics on iPhone 11
- 👎 Awkward controls on mobile
- 🐛 Some in-game features don't work

**Reported bugs**

- Checkpoint issues
- Controls not working as expected

**Requested features**

- More levels
- Difficulty options
- More lives for player
- Ability to kill bats


### Cogs

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cogs/id351841075)

**Currently charting:** #127 Top Paid · Family (US App Store)

A remastered 3D puzzle game where you construct intricate machines using sliding tiles. Explore various game modes, from building step-by-step to timed challenges and move-limited puzzles.

**Highlights:** Build complex machines with sliding tiles, 3D puzzle gameplay, Inventor Mode for learning, Time Challenge Mode, Move Challenge Mode, Remastered for modern devices

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cogs Puzzle Pack 2 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Cogs Puzzle Pack 3 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Cogs Puzzle Pack 4 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Cogs Puzzle Pack 5 | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Addictive gameplay
- 👍 Beautiful graphics
- 🤔 Challenging puzzles
- 🎨 Lovely steampunk theme

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
- 🔓 Lack of restore purchase option
- 🤏 Not enough free levels
- 🤯 Difficulty spike in paid levels

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes on some devices
- Levels don't load properly

**Requested features**

- Add a reset option
- Provide more free levels
- Improve restore purchase functionality


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Gold Miner Joe free?

Gold Miner Joe costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Cogs free?

Cogs costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Gold Miner Joe or Cogs?

Gold Miner Joe is rated higher. Gold Miner Joe averages 4.8 out of 5 from 31 ratings, while Cogs averages 4.6 from 33 ratings.

### Do Gold Miner Joe or Cogs have ads?

Neither Gold Miner Joe nor Cogs shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Gold Miner Joe or Cogs?

Gold Miner Joe ships an update every 9 months, and Cogs every 2 months. Most recently, Gold Miner Joe was updated on October 24, 2026 and Cogs on October 24, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Gold Miner Joe or Cogs?

Gold Miner Joe currently peaks at #142 in the App Store charts, and Cogs at #127. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*