# PopStar! Lite vs Pop Cat

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PopStar! Lite at none against Pop Cat's 10. PopStar! Lite also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 9 months) and iOS requirement (5.1.1 vs 15.6). Pop Cat's advantage is ratings volume (221 vs 46). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pop Cat sells 9 one-off in-app purchases. PopStar! Lite asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for PopStar! Lite against 4.5 for Pop Cat. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 46 and 221 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 71% of PopStar! Lite's written reviews are positive against 70% of Pop Cat's.

PopStar! Lite ships an update every 2 months, Pop Cat every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PopStar! Lite | Pop Cat |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (46 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/popstar-lite/id357538314/reviews) | **[4.5 (221 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pop-cat/id1242825167/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 46 | **221** |
| Positive reviews | **70.9% of reviews** | 69.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 25 MB | 40 MB |
| Requires iOS | **5.1.1** | 15.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Zplay (Beijing) Info. Tech. Co.,Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/531022725) | [Shanghai Zhenglang Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/492012994) |

## What reviewers say

### PopStar! Lite

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/popstar-lite/id357538314)

This is a casual puzzle game where players tap groups of two or more same-colored blocks to clear them. The goal is to achieve target scores to advance through stages, with bonuses awarded for clearing all blocks. It offers strategic, addictive, and challenging fun for all ages.

**Highlights:** Tap same-colored blocks, No time limit, Target points per stage, Scoring bonuses, Autosave functionality, Supports iOS devices

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Addictive gameplay
- 👍 Good for time killing
- 👍 Fun and enjoyable
- 👍 Simple to operate
- 👍 Good graphics and sound

**What reviewers complain about**

- 👎 Limited levels in free version
- 👎 Prompts to purchase full version
- 👎 Game crashes frequently
- 👎 Updates make game unplayable
- 👎 Graphics can be unclear or dizzying

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes after update
- Game freezes and closes
- Cannot open the app after update
- Game stalls on iPhone 3s
- Update makes game unplayable

**Requested features**

- Allow playing past level 5 in free version
- Add more levels to the free version
- Revert to older graphics/patterns
- Fix game crashing issues
- Implement an undo function


### Pop Cat

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pop-cat/id1242825167)

An addictive puzzle game where you tap matching cat tiles to clear them. Train your brain and relax with over 1000 puzzles. No time limits, just blast cats to reach target scores.

**Highlights:** Tap matching cat tiles, No time limit, Reach target scores, New bubble blocks with 5 cat styles, Magic fish power-up

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 28 Gold Coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| 24 Gold Coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| 140 Gold Coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| 420 Gold Coins | $9.99 | one-time |
| 320 Gold Coins | $9.99 | one-time |
| 920 Gold Coins | $19.99 | one-time |
| 720 Gold Coins | $19.99 | one-time |
| 3050 Gold Coins | $49.99 | one-time |
| 2400 Gold Coins | $49.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PopStar! Lite free?

PopStar! Lite is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Pop Cat free?

Pop Cat is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, PopStar! Lite or Pop Cat?

Pop Cat is rated higher. PopStar! Lite averages 4.5 out of 5 from 46 ratings, while Pop Cat averages 4.5 from 221 ratings.

### Do PopStar! Lite or Pop Cat have ads?

Neither PopStar! Lite nor Pop Cat shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PopStar! Lite or Pop Cat?

PopStar! Lite ships an update every 2 months, and Pop Cat every 9 months. Most recently, PopStar! Lite was updated on October 21, 2026 and Pop Cat on October 23, 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.*