Comparison

The Playmatic vs Stack Away

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

Head to head
About

The Playmatic

This app offers four ad-free games designed for babies, focusing on simple cause-and-effect interactions. It features a baby-proof interface with no ads or settings, making it safe and engaging for infants and toddlers.

Highlights
  • Four ad-free baby games
  • Cause-and-effect interactions
  • Baby-proof interface
  • No ads or popups
  • Simple touch and shake controls
Features
Read full description

The Playmatic contains four simple, ad free games for babies: Magic, Bubbles, Balloons, and Hot Air. There are no ads during game play, no popups, and no settings. There's nothing that requires adult intervention, and there's nothing for your child to break. All four focus on cause-and-effect interactions that are designed to appeal to babies, and they are carefully designed to be baby-proof. Adults have also found these simple games to be calming and satisfying. And the occasional pet (especially cats) like them too! # The Games Magic: Each time your baby touches the screen, cheerful colors and happy sparks appear, and a piano note plays. When your baby shakes your device, a song plays automatically! Bubbles: Bubbles float down the screen, and they pop when they are tapped. When your baby shakes your device, all the bubbles will pop at once! Balloons: Balloons float up the screen, and they pop when they are tapped. When your baby shakes your device, all the balloons will pop at once! Hot Air Balloon: Hot air balloons float up the screen, and each time your baby touches one, and a skydiver jumps out with a parachute. When your baby shakes your device, skydivers will jump out of all the hot air balloons at once! # Reviews I'm very impressed with this app. You really are in tune with what babies want to see and do, and what they are capable of doing with their little hands. — "Nanamijares" in the USA Great for keeping the little one entertained at the airport, on the plane, and anywhere else where keeping him amused is a parent's primary objective. — "CalgaryBen" in Canada I'm a developmental therapist. I use Playmatic to teach cause/effect, to help with visual tracking with my visually impaired kids, and as a motivator for gross motor skills. They, and their parents, love it! — "Preacher120" in the USA This app is amazing. I'm a daycare teacher, and this app is perfect for my toddler room, introducing them to technology. Wonderful. — "Kijgdf" in the USA My 5 month-old loves this app. Her face lights up every time she plays with the bubbles. Best part is no ads or popups that she can accidentally go into. — "Will Grizzard" in the USA Great game for babies. My son has fun popping bubbles, and I even enjoy popping bubbles sometimes to relieve stress. — "77dodo" in Australia Super fun app for kids! I was over at a friend's house and her 4 year-old got hooked on this! I didn't think I was ever going to get my phone back ;) — "StaceFace17" in the USA There are SO many apps that try too hard and fail. This one gets it just right: Fun and straightforward. — "ElJacques" in the USA My kids love this game, and it’s not mind numbing. — "FACS teacher 101" in the USA Very basic but very clever. My 10 month old loves it. The bubble and piano ones are the best. Better go, baby wants the phone! — "Sarahsheils" in the United Kingdom What a fabulous app! Thanks to this app, I can enjoy an extra few minutes in the shower while my daughter happily plays bursting bubbles. Thank you! — "Mia and Aimee" in Australia My son got so excited popping bubbles and hearing the piano notes that he cracked my iPad screen. Seriously though, he's loved this app since he learned how to use a pointy-finger eight months ago. — "_miles_away" in New Zealand Cute, fun, and a great way to interact with your cat. ;) — "Jullox" in Australia # Menu To return to the main menu from within a game, tap and hold the screen for 2 seconds, then slide your finger to the right. # Questions? Comments? If you have any questions or comments, please send an email to hello@fube.ca. We respond quickly!

About

Stack Away

Features
Read full description

Objective: Players need to sort piles of worms by color. The goal is to manage the board space efficiently by creating stacks of worms of the same color. When a stack of 10 or more worms of the same color is formed, those worms go underground, freeing up space on the board. The game continues endlessly, increasing in complexity as the player progresses through the levels. Gameplay Mechanics: Sorting: Players move worms around to create stacks of the same color. Stacking: When a stack reaches 10 or more worms of the same color, it disappears (goes underground), liberating space on the board. Board Space Management: Players must strategically manage the limited board space. If there isn't enough space for new worms, the player loses. New Stacks: Each move causes a new stack of worms to appear, adding to the challenge of managing the board. Levels: The game features an endless number of levels, each increasing in difficulty. As levels progress, the appearance rate of new stacks may increase, or special worms with unique abilities could be introduced. End Condition: The game ends when the board is completely filled with worms, and there is no space left for new stacks to appear. Visuals and Animation: The worms are colorful and animated, with playful movements as they are sorted and stacked. Fun, vibrant backgrounds and sound effects add to the engaging atmosphere of the game. Strategies: Players must think ahead and plan their moves to create large stacks efficiently. Quick decision-making and spatial awareness are key to progressing through higher levels. Stack Away offer a fun and challenging puzzle experience, appealing to players who enjoy strategic sorting and space management games.

Screenshots

The Playmatic4 screens
Stack Away4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: The Playmatic at none against Stack Away's shown. The Playmatic also leads on iOS requirement (10.0 vs 12.0). Stack Away's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

The Playmatic ships an update every 3 weeks, Stack Away every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
The Playmatic versus Stack Away: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe PlaymaticStack Away
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (7 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews70.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings7 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS10.0 — better12.0
Further details — not scored
Size25 MB79 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDerek JanisMohamed Amine ADJABI

Bugs and requests

The Playmatic

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • 🐛 Cannot exit a game
  • 🐛 App not working on iOS 6
  • 🐛 Update not working
  • 🐛 Magnification problem on iPad
  • 🐛 Touch input not working on iPad
Show 1 more
  • 🐛 Screen blows up too large on iPad

Requested features

7 requests
  • Add a back button
  • More games/levels
  • Timer with a scary face for older kids
  • New ideas and features
  • Fix iPad display issues
Show 2 more
  • Fix compatibility with older iOS versions
  • Turn off 'shake to switch screen'

Stack Away

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

The Playmatic

No in-app purchases

None

Stack Away

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is The Playmatic free?
The Playmatic is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Stack Away free?
Stack Away is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do The Playmatic or Stack Away have ads?
Stack Away shows ads; The Playmatic does not.
Which is updated more often, The Playmatic or Stack Away?
The Playmatic ships an update every 3 weeks, and Stack Away every 3 days. Most recently, The Playmatic was updated on October 13, 2026 and Stack Away on October 4, 2026.

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