# Mars Miner vs Idle Chest

The clearest difference is ads: Mars Miner at none against Idle Chest's shown. Mars Miner also leads on iOS requirement (5.1.1 vs 15.0). Idle Chest's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs monthly). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Mars Miner sells 8 one-off in-app purchases and Idle Chest sells 5 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 — 4.5 for Mars Miner against 4.5 for Idle Chest. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 249 and 109 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 87% of Mars Miner's written reviews are positive against 81% of Idle Chest's.

Mars Miner ships an update monthly, Idle Chest every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mars Miner | Idle Chest |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (249 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mars-miner/id457264709/reviews) | **[4.5 (109 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-chest/id6744372975/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **249** | 109 |
| Positive reviews | **87.2% of reviews** | 80.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 27 MB | 192 MB |
| Requires iOS | **5.1.1** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tuna Bowl Software LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/441011909) | [Thomas Gunzburger](https://appshunter.io/developer/1807389356) |

## What reviewers say

### Mars Miner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mars-miner/id457264709)

Escape Mars Corp. by mining for ancient artifact pieces. Sell gems and ores to upgrade equipment and mine deeper. Each randomly generated mine offers a unique challenge, and survival depends on managing your supplies.

**Highlights:** Mine for artifact pieces, Sell gems and ores, Upgrade mining equipment, Randomly generated mines, Manage supplies for survival

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock Full Game | $0.99 | one-time |
| 10,000 Credits | $0.99 | one-time |
| God Mode | $0.99 | one-time |
| Credit Doubler | $0.99 | one-time |
| 25,000 Credits | $1.99 | one-time |
| 60,000 Credits | $3.99 | one-time |
| 150,000 Credits | $5.99 | one-time |
| 500,000 Credits | $11.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and addictive gameplay
- 🚀 Great time-killer
- 💎 Engaging mining and exploration
- 🎨 Nice graphics and visuals

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Limited free content, need to pay for full experience
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🔋 Can be repetitive after a while

**Reported bugs**

- Progress not saving properly
- Crashes and freezes on some devices

**Requested features**

- Expand the map and add more levels
- Introduce new gameplay elements and challenges
- Allow more customization and upgrades


### Idle Chest

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-chest/id6744372975)

Embark on a treasure-hunting adventure where every click earns rewards. Upgrade your skills, collect and enhance equipment, and unlock unique abilities. Discover the secrets of this world through engaging gameplay and an addictive incremental experience.

**Highlights:** Open various chests, Loot and upgrade equipment, Buy skill upgrades, Unlock unique skills, Discover game story

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Underwater Background Skin | $3.99 | one-time |
| Underwater Chests Skin | $3.99 | one-time |
| Underwater Acolytes Skin | $3.99 | one-time |
| No Ads | $3.99 | one-time |
| Underwater Complete Skins Pack | $8.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun short idle clicker
- 👍 Consistent theme
- 👍 Enjoyable experience
- 👍 Minimalistic but rewarding grind
- 💰 Non-intrusive ads

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Game breaking bug with 'Chosen One' minion
- 🔍 Difficult to compare tap damage to acolyte damage
- 🔍 Some explanations could be improved
- 🔍 Slightly linear progression

**Reported bugs**

- Progress resets or reverts
- Minions not working after equipping 'Chosen One'

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Better UI for comparing damage sources


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mars Miner free?

Mars Miner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Idle Chest free?

Idle Chest is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Mars Miner or Idle Chest?

Idle Chest is rated higher. Mars Miner averages 4.5 out of 5 from 249 ratings, while Idle Chest averages 4.5 from 109 ratings.

### Do Mars Miner or Idle Chest have ads?

Idle Chest shows ads; Mars Miner does not.

### Which is updated more often, Mars Miner or Idle Chest?

Mars Miner ships an update monthly, and Idle Chest every 10 days. Most recently, Mars Miner was updated on October 23, 2026 and Idle Chest on October 24, 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.*