# Emerald Mine vs Pac.io

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Emerald Mine at none against Pac.io's 10. Emerald Mine also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 13.0). Pac.io's advantage is rating (4.2 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (297 vs 32). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pac.io sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Emerald Mine asks for nothing beyond the download.

Pac.io holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pac.io has 297 ratings behind it against 32, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 55% of Emerald Mine's written reviews are positive against 54% of Pac.io's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Emerald Mine ships an update every 2 weeks, Pac.io fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Emerald Mine | Pac.io |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (32 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/emerald-mine/id448002032/reviews) | **[4.2 (297 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pacio/id1274026778/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 32 | **297** |
| Positive reviews | **55.1% of reviews** | 53.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 52 MB | 139 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Les Bird](https://appshunter.io/developer/398917210) | [Nomadic Bear Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/1188304416) |

## What reviewers say

### Emerald Mine

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/emerald-mine/id448002032)

Navigate treacherous underground caves as a miner, collecting gems to unlock exit portals. Avoid hazards like exploding bugs, tanks, aliens, and falling debris. Relive a classic Amiga experience with over 6,000 levels.

**Highlights:** Collect gems to open exit portals, Avoid hazards: bugs, tanks, aliens, acid, Over 6,000 classic levels, MFi controller support, Game Center high scores, Touchscreen controls

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Pac.io

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pacio/id1274026778)

Engage in an addictive grid-battle by swiping to outsmart opponents and dominate the arena. Utilize a variety of power-ups and unlock unique skins to enhance your gameplay and rise through the ranks. Enjoy endless fun offline or online with intuitive controls.

**Highlights:** Swipe controls for movement, Strategic power-ups, Unlockable skins, Offline and online play, Intuitive gameplay

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Coin Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Medium Coin Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Magnet | $4.99 | one-time |
| Thunder | $4.99 | one-time |
| Sword | $4.99 | one-time |
| Big Coin Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| No Ads | $9.99 | one-time |
| Large Coin Pack | $19.99 | one-time |
| Huge Coin Pack | $49.99 | one-time |
| Massive Coin Pack | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 😍 Highly addictive and engaging gameplay
- 🎮 Fun Pac-Man inspired mechanics
- 👥 Real multiplayer players (not just bots)
- ⚡ Fast-paced and entertaining
- 🏆 Leaderboard and competitive features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📺 Excessive ads throughout gameplay
- ⚠️ Ads interrupt and crash the game
- 😤 Unfair difficulty and instant death
- 🎮 Sliding controls instead of D-pad/joystick
- 🤖 Questionable AI behavior and cheating

**Reported bugs**

- Ads crash game at end of video
- Game freezes after ad completion
- Pink screen ad that cannot be closed
- Instant death upon spawning
- Players getting stuck behind walls

**Requested features**

- Arrow buttons or D-pad controls instead of sliding
- Ad-free premium version for purchase
- Ability to disable ads with WiFi off
- Friend list and private room creation
- Real player names instead of randomized ones


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Emerald Mine free?

Emerald Mine is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Pac.io free?

Pac.io is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Emerald Mine or Pac.io?

Pac.io is rated higher. Emerald Mine averages 4.0 out of 5 from 32 ratings, while Pac.io averages 4.2 from 297 ratings.

### Do Emerald Mine or Pac.io have ads?

Pac.io shows ads; Emerald Mine does not.

### Which is updated more often, Emerald Mine or Pac.io?

Emerald Mine ships an update every 2 weeks, and Pac.io fortnightly. Most recently, Emerald Mine was updated on September 20, 2026 and Pac.io on September 21, 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.*