# Mancala. vs Gradient Games

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Gradient Games at none against Mancala.'s 11. Gradient Games also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 80%). Mancala.'s advantage is chart position (#120 vs unranked) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 4 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Mancala. ships an update every 2 months, Gradient Games every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mancala. | Gradient Games |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (37K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mancala/id615261740/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **37K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 79.8% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#120** | — |
| Size | 85 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.4** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sergey Skosyrev](https://appshunter.io/developer/1141722489) | [Samuel McBroom](https://appshunter.io/developer/1549562792) |

## What reviewers say

### Mancala.

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

**Currently charting:** #120 Top Free · Trivia, #120 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


### Gradient Games

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gradient-games/id1609975604)

Enjoy a collection of simple, vibrant board games playable on a single device. Challenge friends to local multiplayer matches with included titles like chess, reversi, and checkers. Customize your game experience with theme creation and sharing.

**Highlights:** Simple, colorful board game collection, Create and share custom themes, Local multiplayer on the same device, Includes chess, reversi, and checkers, Challenge friends

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mancala. free?

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

### Is Gradient Games free?

Gradient Games is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Mancala. or Gradient Games have ads?

Neither Mancala. nor Gradient Games shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Mancala. or Gradient Games?

Mancala. ships an update every 2 months, and Gradient Games every 4 months. Most recently, Mancala. was updated on October 15, 2026 and Gradient Games on October 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.*