# Machinarium vs Meridian 157

The clearest difference is price: Meridian 157 at $2.99 against Machinarium's $9.99. Meridian 157 also leads on review sentiment (94% vs 69%) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). Machinarium's advantage is chart position (#131 vs unranked). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Machinarium costs $9.99 and Meridian 157 $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Meridian 157 holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1K and 4.2K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 69% of Machinarium's written reviews are positive against 94% of Meridian 157's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Machinarium | Meridian 157 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **$2.99** |
| Rating | [4.5 (1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/machinarium/id459189186/reviews) | **[4.8 (4.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meridian-157-chapter-2/id1512282997/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1K | **4.2K** |
| Positive reviews | 69.3% of reviews | **93.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#131** | — |
| Size | 302 MB | 326 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Amanita Design s.r.o.](https://appshunter.io/developer/423984213) | [NovaSoft Interactive Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1470338631) |

## What reviewers say

### Machinarium

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/machinarium/id459189186)

**Currently charting:** #131 Top Paid · Puzzle (US App Store)

Embark on an adventure as a robot named Josef to rescue his girlfriend, Berta, who has been kidnapped by a criminal gang. Explore a unique robot city and solve puzzles to achieve your goal.

**Highlights:** Robot protagonist, Story-driven adventure, Puzzle solving, Unique robot city setting, Award-winning visuals

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Beautiful artwork and graphics
- 🎶 Excellent soundtrack and sound design
- 🤖 Cute and engaging main character
- 🧠 Challenging and rewarding puzzles
- 👍 Immersive and atmospheric game world

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Difficulty in seeing small details on mobile screens
- 🕹️ Clunky or unresponsive touch controls
- 🤔 Puzzles can be overly obscure or unintuitive
- 🕰️ Repetitive gameplay in some areas
- 💤 Slow pacing can feel tedious at times

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes or freezes on certain devices
- Glitches preventing progress in key areas
- Inconsistent responsiveness of interactive elements

**Requested features**

- Difficulty settings or customization options
- Ability to skip or bypass certain mini-games
- Improved save/resume functionality
- Expanded story or sequel content


### Meridian 157

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meridian-157-chapter-2/id1512282997)

Embark on a thrilling point-and-click adventure as a forensic meteorologist trapped on a mysterious island. Solve intricate puzzles and uncover secrets to escape a dangerous underground environment. This installment features immersive visuals, custom music, and a logical hint system.

**Highlights:** Interactive point-and-click puzzles, Intriguing storyline across chapters, Immersive environments and high-quality visuals, Item combine feature, Logical hint system, Multi-language support, Color blind mode

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Engaging story
- 👍 Challenging but fair puzzles
- 🎨 Beautiful graphics and atmosphere
- 🔍 Intriguing mystery
- 📷 Useful camera feature

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional glitches or bugs
- 🔍 Some puzzles lack clear logic
- ⏱️ Chapters can be short
- 🔍 Hints sometimes too revealing

**Reported bugs**

- Red drawer not opening with key
- Sound turning off when device locked
- Pipe puzzle clues not clear

**Requested features**

- More chapters/episodes
- Ability to revisit past diary entries
- More varied puzzle types
- Panning/zooming camera controls


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Machinarium free?

Machinarium costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Meridian 157 free?

Meridian 157 costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Machinarium or Meridian 157?

Meridian 157 is rated higher. Machinarium averages 4.5 out of 5 from 1K ratings, while Meridian 157 averages 4.8 from 4.2K ratings.

### Do Machinarium or Meridian 157 have ads?

Neither Machinarium nor Meridian 157 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Machinarium or Meridian 157?

Machinarium ships an update every 5 weeks, and Meridian 157 every 5 weeks. Most recently, Machinarium was updated on November 1, 2026 and Meridian 157 on October 29, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*