# Bubble Bust! vs Pearl Gem!

The clearest difference is price: Pearl Gem! at Free against Bubble Bust!'s $0.99. Pearl Gem! also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 7 months) and ratings volume (65K vs 1K). Bubble Bust!'s advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (94% vs 67%). On rating, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Pearl Gem! is free to download; Bubble Bust! costs $0.99 up front. Bubble Bust! sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Pearl Gem! sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Bubble Bust! against 4.7 for Pearl Gem!. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pearl Gem! has 65K ratings behind it against 1K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 94% of Bubble Bust!'s written reviews are positive against 67% of Pearl Gem!'s.

Bubble Bust! ships an update every 7 months, Pearl Gem! fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 23, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bubble Bust! | Pearl Gem! |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bubble-bust-bubble-shooter/id407998895/reviews)** | [4.7 (65K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pearl-gem/id6477785346/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1K | **65K** |
| Positive reviews | **93.8% of reviews** | 66.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#191** | — |
| Size | 35 MB | 315 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [GOES International AB](https://appshunter.io/developer/381342316) | [A Small Game AB](https://appshunter.io/developer/1073064064) |

## What reviewers say

### Bubble Bust!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bubble-bust-bubble-shooter/id407998895)

**Currently charting:** #191 Top Paid · Family (US App Store)

Engage in addictive arcade-style bubble-popping action with millions worldwide. Aim, shoot, and match colors to clear the board, bust special bubbles, and achieve high scores across numerous challenging levels.

**Highlights:** Tons of levels, High quality graphics, Exciting new bubbles and power ups, Realistic game physics, Global high scores, Colorblind mode

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Shooting Stars - Bubble Bust World 2 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pack of 500 Tokens | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pack of 10 Fireballs | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pack of 5 Bumpers | $0.99 | one-time |
| World 2 - Level Pack 2 | $0.99 | one-time |
| World 3 - Level Pack 2 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Struck by Lightning - Bubble Bust World 3 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Pack of 30 Fireballs | $1.99 | one-time |
| Pack of 15 Bumpers | $1.99 | one-time |
| MEGA Bubble Popper Pack | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast-paced and addictive
- 👍 Challenging yet fun gameplay
- 💎 Excellent graphics and visuals
- 🎨 Colorful and vibrant bubbles
- ⏱️ Great time-killer

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional glitches and bugs
- 🔒 Difficulty unlocking new levels
- 💰 Paid content required for full experience
- 🕹️ Inconsistent ball aiming controls

**Reported bugs**

- Levels not recording high scores
- Bubble patterns changing unexpectedly
- Crashes after iOS updates

**Requested features**

- More levels and worlds
- Continuous/endless mode
- Achievements and leaderboards
- Ability to replay completed levels


### Pearl Gem!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pearl-gem/id6477785346)

Engage in a unique bubble-shooter adventure, breaking obstacles and combining shots to conquer levels. Collect pearls to craft beautiful gems and discover hidden treasures with a helpful companion guiding your way.

**Highlights:** Unique bubble-shooter gameplay, Break through obstacles, Collect pearls, Create beautiful gems, Unlock powerful boosters, Clear layers of the Pearl Sphere

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| No Ad Breaks for 1 day! | $0.99 | one-time |
| No Ad Breaks for 7 days! | $2.99 | one-time |
| Coin Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Special Offer! | $2.99 | one-time |
| Shiny Bundle | $3.99 | one-time |
| Star Bundle | $6.99 | one-time |
| No Ad Breaks forever! | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Excellent graphics
- 🎮 Addictive and fun gameplay
- 🎯 Challenging levels
- 👍 Relaxing and soothing experience
- 💎 Satisfying to watch the pearls drop

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Lack of clarity on game mechanics and progression
- 🔊 Annoying voice/sound effects
- 💰 Too many ads, especially after rating the app
- 🐛 Bugs causing progress resets and issues with water level

**Reported bugs**

- Pearl counter resets to zero
- Water level not progressing as expected
- Sound issues after ad breaks
- Excessively high pearl requirements on certain levels

**Requested features**

- Add more level variety and difficulty
- Introduce new game modes or challenges
- Provide an option to disable sound/music
- Improve the water level progression system
- Add a shop or customization options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bubble Bust! free?

Bubble Bust! costs $0.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Pearl Gem! free?

Pearl Gem! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Bubble Bust! or Pearl Gem!?

Bubble Bust! is rated higher. Bubble Bust! averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1K ratings, while Pearl Gem! averages 4.7 from 65K ratings.

### Do Bubble Bust! or Pearl Gem! have ads?

Pearl Gem! shows ads; Bubble Bust! does not.

### Which is updated more often, Bubble Bust! or Pearl Gem!?

Bubble Bust! ships an update every 7 months, and Pearl Gem! fortnightly. Most recently, Bubble Bust! was updated on October 23, 2026 and Pearl Gem! 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.*