# Mancala. vs Virtual Sandtray

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Virtual Sandtray at none against Mancala.'s 11. Virtual Sandtray also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). Mancala.'s advantage is ratings volume (37K vs 9) and chart position (#106 vs unranked). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Mancala. sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Virtual Sandtray asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Mancala. against 4.8 for Virtual Sandtray. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mancala. has 37K ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Mancala. ships an update every 2 months, Virtual Sandtray every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mancala. | Virtual Sandtray |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (37K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mancala/id615261740/reviews) | **[4.8 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtual-sandtray-client/id1519269015/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **37K** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | 79.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#106** | — |
| Size | 85 MB | 1.5 GB |
| Requires iOS | **12.4** | 13.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sergey Skosyrev](https://appshunter.io/developer/1141722489) | [Chris Ewing](https://appshunter.io/developer/916460127) |

## What reviewers say

### Mancala.

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mancala/id615261740)

**Currently charting:** #106 Top Free · Trivia, #142 Top Grossing · Trivia (US App Store)

Experience Mancala, an ancient strategy board game. Move marbles counter-clockwise, aiming to collect the most in your home hole. Enjoy a classic game of skill and foresight.

**Highlights:** Ancient board game gameplay, Counter-clockwise marble movement, Strategic home hole collection, Simple rules, deep strategy, Single-player game

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 50 diamonds | $1.99 | one-time |
| 55 diamonds | $1.99 | one-time |
| 90 diamonds | $2.99 | one-time |
| Advanced Features | $4.99 | one-time |
| 150 diamonds | $4.99 | one-time |
| Avalanche Advanced Features | $4.99 | one-time |
| 145 diamonds | $4.99 | one-time |
| 180 diamonds | $6.99 | one-time |
| 350 diamonds | $9.99 | one-time |
| 750 diamonds | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Well-built app
- 👍 Enjoyable to play
- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Great to learn
- 👍 Fast gameplay for practice

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 AI too easy to beat
- 💰 Paid version required for more features
- 💰 Hints/diamonds cost money
- 🤔 Confusing rules and gameplay
- 🤔 Predictable AI patterns

**Reported bugs**

- Hint button not working properly
- Peg solitaire mode has unsolvable levels

**Requested features**

- Multiplayer mode
- Difficulty settings for AI
- Earn in-game currency through gameplay
- More single-player modes and puzzles
- Clearer in-app instructions and rules


### Virtual Sandtray

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtual-sandtray-client/id1519269015)

This application allows clients to connect with their therapists remotely. It provides a digital sandtray experience to facilitate ongoing therapy sessions outside of traditional in-person appointments.

**Highlights:** Remote client connection, Digital sandtray functionality, Facilitates ongoing therapy, Client-therapist communication

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mancala. free?

Mancala. is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Virtual Sandtray free?

Virtual Sandtray is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Mancala. or Virtual Sandtray?

Virtual Sandtray is rated higher. Mancala. averages 4.7 out of 5 from 37K ratings, while Virtual Sandtray averages 4.8 from 9 ratings.

### Do Mancala. or Virtual Sandtray have ads?

Neither Mancala. nor Virtual Sandtray shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Mancala. or Virtual Sandtray?

Mancala. ships an update every 2 months, and Virtual Sandtray every 3 weeks. Most recently, Mancala. was updated on October 23, 2026 and Virtual Sandtray on October 16, 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.*