Comparison

Bubble Mags vs Simple Match 3

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

Head to head
About

Bubble Mags

Engage in a captivating physics-based puzzle game where you aim and shoot colored bubbles to clear the screen. Choose from multiple game modes and difficulty levels for endless fun. The realistic physics simulation brings the bubbles to life, offering a unique and challenging experience.

Highlights
  • Physics simulation
  • Three game modes (Normal, Stress, Clean)
  • Four difficulty levels
  • Six bubblestyles
  • Tap to aim and shoot bubbles
  • Match 2+ same-colored bubbles
Features
Read full description

*** The perfect way to waste some time! The physics simulation really makes the bubbles come alive, and it's super easy to start playing. Just tap the screen in the direction you want the bubble to move and aim for two or more bubbles of the same color. The more bubbles you shoot at the same time, the higher score you get. Features: * Three game modes; Normal, Stress and Clean * Four difficulty levels - Easy enough for everybody to play, though enough to give everybody a challenge * Six different bubblestyles * True physics simulation makes the bubbles come alive How to play: In normal mode you have all the time you want. Aim carefully, and make those bubbles pop. After a number of faults (shooting without making bubbles explode) a new row of bubbles will appear. The remaining numbers of faults will be shown as small white dots at the bottom of the screen. If you manage to clean all bubbles, you will be awarded a bonus score and get to the next level. The game ends if a bubble gets to the lowest row. In stress mode you need to be fast. Keep popping bubbles rapidly to keep the timer from becoming empty. If it becomes empty, a new row of bubbles will appear. In clean mode there is no bubbles to shoot. You must touch the bubbles (groups of two or more) to make them pop. It might sound easy, but watch your popping, or else you will end up with only one bubble of one of the colors.

About

Simple Match 3

This is a relaxing puzzle game where you swap tiles to make matches of three. Unlock hundreds of unique tiles, customize your game's appearance, and enjoy satisfying effects. It offers a peaceful experience without ads or excessive story elements.

Highlights
  • No ads or subscriptions
  • Hundreds of unique tiles
  • Customizable appearance
  • Daily levels with leaderboards
  • Zen Mode for relaxation
  • Satisfying visual effects
  • Achievements and boosters
Features
Read full description

Simple Match 3 is a relaxing and challenging puzzle game with absolutely no ads. Swap tiles and make matches of 3 to clear levels. Unlock hundreds of unique tiles and customize to fit your style. Discover a variety of different elements and mechanics as you progress through the game. Use satisfying boosters and power ups. Unlike most match-3 games, Simple Match 3 was created to give players a relaxing and satisfying experience, without annoying ads, obnoxious effects, or time wasting story elements. FEATURES: No ads: Absolutely no ads or subscription purchases. The base price includes 350 levels, a unique daily level with leaderboard, and zen mode. 1 small in-app purchase unlocks even more. Customization: Customize to your heart’s content with hundreds of different tiles and lots of different background colors. You can even choose the color of the user interface buttons to match your theme! Daily Level: Play a unique level every single day. Try to make it to the top of the online leaderboard! Zen Mode: Relax and make matches with no move limits, no goals, and limited obstacles in Zen Mode. Satisfying experience: Enjoy super satisfying effects as you clear tiles, smash through crates, destroy glass, and more! The effects were created to be satisfying, without being too obnoxious or overwhelming. Achievements: Complete a variety of achievements to unlock more tiles. Boosters: Spin the prize wheel every day to gain boosters. You can also get even more boosters by completing the daily goal. Handcrafted levels: Play through 350 handcrafted levels and try to earn 3 stars. Some levels are simple, others are more challenging. Discover a variety of unique elements as you progress. If you want more, 1 small in app purchase unlocks 350 more levels. Created with love and care: Developed by a single person with care. Levels are designed to be fun, challenging, and satisfying without the need to purchase endless boosters. Download Simple Match 3 today and see what makes it so special!

Screenshots

Bubble Mags4 screens
Simple Match 34 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Bubble Mags at none against Simple Match 3's 1. Bubble Mags also leads on price ($0.99 vs $1.99) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 14.0). Simple Match 3's advantage is review sentiment (90% vs 66%) and update cadence (weekly vs every 5 weeks). On rating, ratings volume, ads 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

Bubble Mags costs $0.99 and Simple Match 3 $1.99 up front. Simple Match 3 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Bubble Mags asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Simple Match 3 holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 287 and 257 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 66% of Bubble Mags's written reviews are positive against 90% of Simple Match 3's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bubble Mags ships an update every 5 weeks, Simple Match 3 weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Bubble Mags versus Simple Match 3: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBubble MagsSimple Match 3
Price$0.99 — better$1.99
Rating4.6 (287 ratings)4.8 (257 ratings) — better
Positive reviews65.6% of reviews89.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings287 — better257
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
Best chart rank—#100 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS8.0 — better14.0
Further details — not scored
Size24 MB463 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKim Bobby ProductionsMulberry Tree Games, LLC

Customer experience

Bubble Mags

All ratings281 ratings
Positive89.7%
Neutral5.7%
Negative4.6%
Written reviews32 reviews
Positive65.6%
Neutral18.8%
Negative15.6%

Simple Match 3

All ratings247 ratings
Positive93.9%
Neutral2.8%
Negative3.2%
Written reviews195 reviews
Positive89.7%
Neutral6.2%
Negative4.1%

User reviews

Bubble Mags

From 287 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Very addicting
  • 👍 Simple and easy to play
  • 👍 Good for passing time
  • 👍 Relaxing gameplay
  • 👍 No ads (paid version)

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Game cheats
  • 🐛 Bubbles don't match
  • 🐛 Tilt not working
  • 🐛 High difficulty spikes
  • 🐛 Endless mode limited

Simple Match 3

From 257 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Best Match 3 Game
  • 👍 Calming and Engaging
  • 🔒 No Ads or IAPs
  • 👍 Customizable Tiles
  • 👍 Relaxing Music and Sound Effects

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Bugs in Higher Levels
  • 🐛 Impossible Levels Due to Missing Obstacles
  • 🐛 Soft Locks with Rainbow Tiles
  • 🐛 Reward Box Tapping Issue
  • 🐛 Inconsistent Star Rating System

Bugs and requests

Bubble Mags

Reported bugs

7 issues
  • App crashes
  • Tilt not working on iPhone 12
  • Game cheats
  • Bubbles of non-matching colors
  • Link to help doesn't work
Show 2 more
  • High score deleted
  • No sound

Requested features

5 requests
  • Consider colors for color blindness
  • Update app for iOS 18 and higher
  • See next shooter on deck
  • Scoring for least number of turns
  • Save button for high score

Simple Match 3

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Levels with Missing Obstacles
  • Reward Box Tapping Issue
  • Inconsistent Star Rating System
  • Soft Locks with Rainbow Tiles
  • Crashes on Opening

Requested features

6 requests
  • Level Editor
  • Endless/Survival Mode
  • Improved Power-Up Interactions
  • Hints or Shuffle Option
  • Landscape Support for iPad
Show 1 more
  • iCloud Sync Across Devices

In-app purchases

None

Bubble Mags

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Simple Match 3

One-time1
  • Simple Match 3 Gold$1.99

Questions

Is Bubble Mags free?
Bubble Mags costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Simple Match 3 free?
Simple Match 3 costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Bubble Mags or Simple Match 3?
Simple Match 3 is rated higher. Bubble Mags averages 4.6 out of 5 from 287 ratings, while Simple Match 3 averages 4.8 from 257 ratings.
Do Bubble Mags or Simple Match 3 have ads?
Neither Bubble Mags nor Simple Match 3 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Bubble Mags or Simple Match 3?
Bubble Mags ships an update every 5 weeks, and Simple Match 3 weekly. Most recently, Bubble Mags was updated on October 23, 2026 and Simple Match 3 on October 24, 2026.

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