# Star Gems vs Gems Dash

The clearest difference is ads: Gems Dash at none against Star Gems's shown. Gems Dash also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.2 for Star Gems against 4.3 for Gems Dash. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 80 and 40 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 86% and 87% positive.

Star Gems ships an update every 4 months, Gems Dash monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Star Gems | Gems Dash |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (80 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/star-gems/id528857133/reviews) | **[4.3 (40 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gems-dash/id628423673/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **80** | 40 |
| Positive reviews | 86.3% of reviews | **86.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 102 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | **8.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Balloon Island Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/630026063) | [崇林 莫](https://appshunter.io/developer/527637755) |

## 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


### Gems Dash

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gems-dash/id628423673)

A captivating matching game where players connect three or more identical gems in a line to clear them. Strategize your moves to complete hundreds of levels and achieve transparency across all grid backgrounds to advance.

**Highlights:** Hundreds of well-designed levels, Randomly appearing useful props, Clear all grid backgrounds to win, Swap gems to create matches, Strategic planning required

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Addictive and fun gameplay
- 🎨 Colorful and visually appealing
- ⏱️ Good time-passer
- 🕹️ Challenging and strategic

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and freezes
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🎨 Similar gem colors can be hard to distinguish
- 🕰️ Slow progression between levels

**Reported bugs**

- Game freezes after completing a level
- Levels sometimes fail to load properly

**Requested features**

- Shuffle button to reset the board
- More level variety and difficulty options
- Ability to turn off sound/music


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Star Gems free?

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

### Is Gems Dash free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Star Gems or Gems Dash?

Gems Dash is rated higher. Star Gems averages 4.2 out of 5 from 80 ratings, while Gems Dash averages 4.3 from 40 ratings.

### Do Star Gems or Gems Dash have ads?

Star Gems shows ads; Gems Dash does not.

### Which is updated more often, Star Gems or Gems Dash?

Star Gems ships an update every 4 months, and Gems Dash monthly. Most recently, Star Gems was updated on October 23, 2026 and Gems Dash on October 26, 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.*