# Mancos vs CrystalGen

The clearest difference is update cadence: Mancos at every 4 months against CrystalGen's every 38 months. Mancos also leads on chart position (#192 vs unranked). CrystalGen's advantage is iOS requirement (17.2 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Mancos costs $2.99 and CrystalGen $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Mancos ships an update every 4 months, CrystalGen every 38 months. The most recent releases landed on September 12, 2026 and November 30, 2025 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mancos | CrystalGen |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | $2.99 |
| Rating | **[5.0 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mancos/id541570878/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **13** | — |
| Positive reviews | 70.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 months** | Every 38 months |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Best chart rank | **#192** | — |
| Size | 10 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **17.2** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Hunt Mountain Software](https://appshunter.io/developer/328710008) | [Steve Kliewer](https://appshunter.io/developer/1255655631) |

## What reviewers say

### Mancos

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mancos/id541570878)

**Currently charting:** #192 Top Paid · Education (US App Store)

Explore the geology of the United States and other regions with this app. Access state geological maps, formation data, and stratigraphic columns. Discover local fossil collections directly from your device.

**Highlights:** Interactive geological maps, Searchable by name or GPS, State-level geological data, Geological formation information, Regional stratigraphic columns, Fossil collection discovery

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### CrystalGen

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crystalgen/id1589074466)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mancos free?

Mancos costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is CrystalGen free?

CrystalGen costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Mancos or CrystalGen have ads?

Neither Mancos nor CrystalGen shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Mancos or CrystalGen?

Mancos ships an update every 4 months, and CrystalGen every 38 months. Most recently, Mancos was updated on September 12, 2026 and CrystalGen on November 30, 2025.

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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.*