# PopStar ® vs PopStar Mania+

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PopStar ® at 82% against PopStar Mania+'s 33%. PopStar ® also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (282 vs 36). PopStar Mania+'s advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and rating (4.8 vs 4.6). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PopStar ® sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. PopStar Mania+ asks for nothing beyond the download.

PopStar Mania+ holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PopStar ® has 282 ratings behind it against 36, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 82% of PopStar ®'s written reviews are positive against 33% of PopStar Mania+'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

PopStar ® ships an update fortnightly, PopStar Mania+ every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PopStar ® | PopStar Mania+ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (282 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/popstar/id615879809/reviews) | **[4.8 (36 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/popstar-mania-plus/id1035128349/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **282** | 36 |
| Positive reviews | **81.8% of reviews** | 33.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 38 MB | 72 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.2** | 15.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [耀志 黄](https://appshunter.io/developer/793609884) | [D2R](https://appshunter.io/developer/354579543) |

## What reviewers say

### PopStar ®

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/popstar/id615879809)

A classic casual puzzle game where players tap groups of at least two same-colored stars to pop them. The goal is to achieve the highest score by popping as many stars as possible and clearing the board for bonus points. Magic tools can be used to help achieve higher scores.

**Highlights:** Tap same-colored stars, Score based on stars popped, Bonus for clearing stars, Use magic tools, Achieve highest score

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 5 Magic Stars | $0.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ad | $0.99 | one-time |
| 18 Magic Stars | $2.99 | one-time |
| 35 Magic Stars | $4.99 | one-time |
| 50 Magic Stars | $5.99 | one-time |
| 100 Magic Stars | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and enjoyable gameplay
- 😌 Relaxing experience
- 🧠 Challenging and engaging
- 💖 Addictive and loved by users
- 🏆 Shows personal best score

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Game freezes and crashes
- 🚫 Booster tools not working
-  intrusive ads
- 🔒 Security risk (clipboard access)
-  frustrating to close

**Reported bugs**

- App gets stuck and won't close
- Booster tools are not functional
- Google ad banner covers game
- App accesses clipboard without reason
- Game freezes up, requires reload

**Requested features**

- Fix booster tools
- Allow further progression without stars


### PopStar Mania+

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/popstar-mania-plus/id1035128349)

A color-matching puzzle game where you tap adjacent stars of the same color to blast them. Strategize your moves to achieve high scores and clear the board with the fewest taps. Offers four distinct game modes for varied challenges.

**Highlights:** Tap adjacent same-colored stars to blast, Score higher with more stars popped per move, Four unique game modes: Classic, Timed, Moves, 1 Stage, Strategic gameplay and high score challenges, Simple to learn, difficult to master

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PopStar ® free?

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

### Is PopStar Mania+ free?

PopStar Mania+ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, PopStar ® or PopStar Mania+?

PopStar Mania+ is rated higher. PopStar ® averages 4.6 out of 5 from 282 ratings, while PopStar Mania+ averages 4.8 from 36 ratings.

### Do PopStar ® or PopStar Mania+ have ads?

Both PopStar ® and PopStar Mania+ show ads.

### Which is updated more often, PopStar ® or PopStar Mania+?

PopStar ® ships an update fortnightly, and PopStar Mania+ every 4 months. Most recently, PopStar ® was updated on October 23, 2026 and PopStar Mania+ on October 24, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*