Comparison

Bubble Explode vs Star Gems

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Bubble Explode

Engage in a captivating bubble-popping puzzle experience with chain reactions and satisfying animations. Explore numerous game modes, unlock new skins, and compete globally. Save your progress and customize your gameplay speed.

Highlights
  • Chain reaction bubble explosions
  • Multiple game modes
  • Unlockable skins
  • Global online scoreboards
  • Adjustable animation speed
  • Undo moves
Features
Read full description

Bubble Explode has been Top 1 free app in UK, Canada, Netherlands, Russia and has been in Top 5 free apps in USA, Australia, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and many other countries! Take your Bubble Exploding / Popping / Breaking experience to the next level with nice animations, bonuses, global online scoreboards, original game modes and much more! Features: - NEW: 4 skins: Classic, Pumpkins, Jewels and Monochrome - Chain reaction bubble Explosions - Slick animations - 15 game modes: Classic, Chill Out, Bubble Invasion, Bubble Shootix, Critical Mass, Turn By Turn, Gravity, Swapper and Power of Two etc. - Bonuses for exploding bubble groups of nice shapes: squares, lines, corners, etc… - Global online scoreboards - Accelerometer based bubbles lighting - Undo up to 10 moves back - 5 animation speed settings : Slow Motion, Normal, Fast, Turbo, and Animations Off - Saves game on exit or a phone call REVIEWS BY OUR USERS: "OMG this game is highly addictive! I keep telling myself in my head to stop playing after a long time on the game, but my finger keeps finding more bubbles to pop! It was so hard to peel myself away from it to write this review!" - by Horrible Apps "SO ADDICTING!!!!! So Much fun is a Must Have Game. PS Cats ROCK. meow" - by Ephesians "It is so sweettttttt!!!!!! I love it" - by Em3740 "This game is super addicting!!! Long live Bubble Explode!!!" - by The AC Method Note: The Free version may be subject to limitations and the limitations are subject to change. Our standard subscription options are: 1-month Subscription 3-months Subscription 1 Year Subscription * Subscription payments will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of your purchase and upon commencement of each renewal term. Subscription with a free trial period will automatically renew to a paid subscription. You can cancel your subscription or free trial in the iTunes settings at least 24-hours before the end of the free trial period. The cancellation will take effect the day after the last day of the current subscription period and you will be downgraded to the free service. * Please note: any unused portion of a free trial period (if offered) will be forfeited when you purchase a premium subscription during the free trial period. Privacy Policy: https://www.spookyhousestudios.com/legal/spooky_house_privacy_policy.html Terms of use: https://www.spookyhousestudios.com/legal/spooky_house_subscriptions_terms_of_use.html

About

Star Gems

Engage in a fast-paced, strategic puzzle game where you blast aliens by matching colored stars. Avoid letting stars or UFOs reach the top of the screen. Utilize a charged laser gun for emergencies and enjoy playing with your own music.

Highlights
  • Match three or more stars of the same color
  • Destroy UFOs by popping stars below them
  • Prevent stars and UFOs from reaching the top
  • Use a charged laser gun for emergencies
  • Play with your own music
  • Autosave game progress
Features
Read full description

Blast aliens before they get into outer space! Star Gems is no like other star popping games. It is a brain teaser that requires fast reaction and strategic thinking. Easy to play: • Tap three or more stars of the same color to score. • UFOs can be destroyed by popping stars from directly below. • Don't let UFOs and stars reaching the top. Laser gun: • Tap on the laser gun for super power in case of emergency. • Laser gun can be charged up by valid moves. Features: • Play your own music while gaming. • Autosave when the game is interrupted.

Screenshots

Bubble Explode4 screens
Star Gems3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Star Gems at none against Bubble Explode's 15. Star Gems also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). Bubble Explode's advantage is rating (4.6 vs 4.2) and ratings volume (19K vs 78). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Bubble Explode sells 15 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Star Gems asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Bubble Explode holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bubble Explode has 19K ratings behind it against 78, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 79% of Bubble Explode's written reviews are positive against 86% of Star Gems's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bubble Explode ships an update every 2 months, Star Gems every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Bubble Explode versus Star Gems: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBubble ExplodeStar Gems
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (19K ratings) — better4.2 (78 ratings)
Positive reviews78.7% of reviews86.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings19K — better78
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 4 months
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size243 MB102 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperSpooky House Studios UG (haftungsbeschraenkt)Balloon Island Limited

Customer experience

Bubble Explode

All ratings18,620 ratings
Positive90.3%
Neutral5.8%
Negative3.9%
Written reviews573 reviews
Positive78.7%
Neutral6.1%
Negative15.2%

Star Gems

All ratings75 ratings
Positive81.3%
Neutral4.0%
Negative14.7%
Written reviews153 reviews
Positive86.3%
Neutral5.9%
Negative7.8%

User reviews

Bubble Explode

From 19K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Fun and relaxing games
  • 🧠 Challenging and engaging
  • 🎨 Great graphics and visuals
  • 🎶 Enjoyable music and sounds
  • 💰 Generous with free pearls/coins

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and freezes
  • 🔄 Forced ads and in-app purchases
  • 🤔 Confusing or unfair game mechanics
  • 🕰️ Slow or unresponsive gameplay
  • 🔍 Cluttered and distracting UI

Star Gems

From 78 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast and fun
  • 👍 Addictive and absorbing
  • 👍 Great for hand-eye coordination
  • 👍 Enjoyable and challenging
  • 👍 Simple but exciting

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Glitches and bugs
  • 🐛 Freezing and crashing issues
  • 🐛 Unresponsive touch screen
  • 🔋 High battery consumption
  • 👎 Too many ads and interruptions

Bugs and requests

Bubble Explode

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Wildcard/power-up reloading issues
  • Incorrect or missing achievements
  • Uneven difficulty spikes in some games
  • Touchscreen calibration problems
  • Forced bonus levels disrupting gameplay

Requested features

5 requests
  • More free game modes and content
  • Ability to disable ads and suggestions
  • Improved scoring and progression systems
  • Better syncing across devices
  • More customization options

Star Gems

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Blocks from previous levels remain on board
  • Game freezes or stops completely after updates
  • Colors change automatically during gameplay
  • Cubes float on top and cannot be eliminated
  • Touch screen not responsive on first tap

Requested features

5 requests
  • Allow continuing from last level
  • Add difficulty settings or level selection
  • Improve laser gun recharging mechanics
  • Fix issue with blocks from previous levels
  • Optimize performance and stability

In-app purchases

15 purchases

Bubble Explode

Subscriptions3
  • Premium User 1 Month$5.991 Month
  • Premium User 1 Week free trial3 Days trial$7.997 Days
  • Premium User 1 Year$49.991 Year
One-time12
  • 1000 Pearls$1.99
  • 30 Gems$1.99
  • Daily offer$3.99
Show 9 more
  • 80 Gems$3.99
  • Bubble Explode Ad Free$4.99
  • 5 000 Pearls 30% OFF$5.99
  • Daily Offer x3$5.99
  • 5000 Pearls$5.99
  • 10000 Pearls$9.99
  • 25 000 Pearls$19.99
  • 150 000 Pearls$99.99
  • 1 Million Pearls$499.99
None

Star Gems

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Bubble Explode free?
Bubble Explode is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Star Gems free?
Star Gems is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Bubble Explode or Star Gems?
Bubble Explode is rated higher. Bubble Explode averages 4.6 out of 5 from 19K ratings, while Star Gems averages 4.2 from 78 ratings.
Do Bubble Explode or Star Gems have ads?
Both Bubble Explode and Star Gems show ads.
Which is updated more often, Bubble Explode or Star Gems?
Bubble Explode ships an update every 2 months, and Star Gems every 4 months. Most recently, Bubble Explode was updated on October 20, 2026 and Star Gems on October 15, 2026.

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