# Star Gems vs Square and Circular

The clearest difference is ads: Square and Circular at none against Star Gems's shown. Star Gems's advantage is update cadence (every 4 months vs every 9 months). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Star Gems ships an update every 4 months, Square and Circular every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Star Gems | Square and Circular |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.2 (80 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/star-gems/id528857133/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **80** | — |
| Positive reviews | 86.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 months** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | — |
| Size | 102 MB | 18 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Balloon Island Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/630026063) | [娟 杜](https://appshunter.io/developer/974748350) |

## What reviewers say

### Star Gems

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/star-gems/id528857133)

Engage in a fast-paced, strategic puzzle game where you blast aliens by matching colored stars. Avoid letting stars or UFOs reach the top of the screen. Utilize a charged laser gun for emergencies and enjoy playing with your own music.

**Highlights:** Match three or more stars of the same color, Destroy UFOs by popping stars below them, Prevent stars and UFOs from reaching the top, Use a charged laser gun for emergencies, Play with your own music, Autosave game progress

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and fun
- 👍 Addictive and absorbing
- 👍 Great for hand-eye coordination
- 👍 Enjoyable and challenging
- 👍 Simple but exciting

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitches and bugs
- 🐛 Freezing and crashing issues
- 🐛 Unresponsive touch screen
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 👎 Too many ads and interruptions

**Reported bugs**

- Blocks from previous levels remain on board
- Game freezes or stops completely after updates
- Colors change automatically during gameplay
- Cubes float on top and cannot be eliminated
- Touch screen not responsive on first tap

**Requested features**

- Allow continuing from last level
- Add difficulty settings or level selection
- Improve laser gun recharging mechanics
- Fix issue with blocks from previous levels
- Optimize performance and stability


### Square and Circular

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/square-and-circular/id1068916272)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Star Gems free?

Star Gems is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Square and Circular free?

Square and Circular is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Star Gems or Square and Circular have ads?

Star Gems shows ads; Square and Circular does not.

### Which is updated more often, Star Gems or Square and Circular?

Star Gems ships an update every 4 months, and Square and Circular every 9 months. Most recently, Star Gems was updated on November 1, 2026 and Square and Circular on November 2, 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.*