# Township vs Sand Balls

The clearest difference is ads: Township at none against Sand Balls's shown. Township also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months) and chart position (#5 vs unranked). Sand Balls's advantage is review sentiment (42% vs 29%). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Township sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Sand Balls sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Township holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Township has 2.2M ratings behind it against 286K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 29% of Township's written reviews are positive against 42% of Sand Balls's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Township ships an update every 2 weeks, Sand Balls every 2 months. Both last shipped on November 12, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Township | Sand Balls |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (2.2M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/township/id638689075/reviews)** | [4.6 (286K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sand-balls-digger-puzzle/id1474046667/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.2M** | 286K |
| Positive reviews | 29.3% of reviews | **41.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#5** | — |
| Size | 282 MB | 289 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Playrix](https://appshunter.io/developer/1162116447) | [SayGames LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1551847165) |

## What reviewers say

### Township

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/township/id638689075)

**Currently charting:** #5 Top Grossing · Casual, #5 Top Grossing · Puzzle, #8 Top Free · Casual, #8 Top Free · Puzzle, #11 Top Free · Games, #13 Top Grossing · Games, #54 Top Grossing, #97 Top Free (US App Store)

Build your dream city and farm, then relax with engaging match-3 puzzles. Compete in exciting events, collect unique items, and play offline. This game offers a vibrant community and endless creative possibilities.

**Highlights:** City building and design, Farming and crop growing, Match-3 puzzle gameplay, Competitions and events, Item collection, Offline play

**Features:** iMessage stickers

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Begginner's Bundle | $1.99 | one-time |
| Tiny Cash Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Piggy bank | $2.99 | one-time |
| Offer | $3.99 | one-time |
| Small Cash Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Golden Ticket | $4.99 | one-time |
| Boost Bundle | $5.99 | one-time |
| Standard Bundle | $6.99 | one-time |
| Medium Cash Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Large Cash Pack | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and addictive gameplay
- 👍 Engaging events and challenges
- 🤝 Helpful co-op and community features
- 🎨 Detailed and creative town building

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⏱️ Slow progression and long wait times
- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases required for progress
- 🐛 Bugs, glitches, and technical issues
- 📦 Frustrating resource management and storage limitations

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent crashes and app instability
- Inconsistent or disappearing in-app purchases
- Incorrect or changing building requirements
- Synchronization issues between devices

**Requested features**

- Faster production and building times
- More generous rewards and currency earnings
- Improved co-op functionality and communication
- Expanded customization and decoration options


### Sand Balls

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sand-balls-digger-puzzle/id1474046667)

Dig and collect colorful sand balls by navigating intricate paths and overcoming obstacles. Use strategy to fill a truck and transport them to build and upgrade a beautiful island. Enjoy hundreds of levels for relaxation and brain-teasing fun.

**Highlights:** Dig and collect colorful sand balls, Navigate complex paths and obstacles, Fill trucks and transport balls, Build and upgrade a beautiful island, Hundreds of challenging levels, Collect golden keys for surprises

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| VIP Week | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| VIP Month | $19.99 | per month |
| 3 Hints | $0.99 | one-time |
| 25 Gems | $0.99 | one-time |
| Unique Ball bundle | $0.99 | one-time |
| 10 Hints | $1.99 | one-time |
| No Ads | $2.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| 25 Hints | $4.99 | one-time |
| Basic bundle | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Relaxing and calming gameplay
- 👍 Satisfying physics and visuals
- 💡 Interesting sand city building feature

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🙄 Excessive and intrusive ads
- 🤔 Repetitive and unvaried levels
- 💰 Expensive VIP subscription
- 🐛 Glitches and bugs

**Reported bugs**

- Balls getting stuck in impossible positions
- Game freezing or crashing
- Issues with claiming rewards and unlocking new content

**Requested features**

- Ability to replay past levels
- More challenging and varied levels
- Improved progression and rewards system
- Better ad implementation or ad-free option


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Township free?

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

### Is Sand Balls free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Township or Sand Balls?

Township is rated higher. Township averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2.2M ratings, while Sand Balls averages 4.6 from 286K ratings.

### Do Township or Sand Balls have ads?

Sand Balls shows ads; Township does not.

### Which is updated more often, Township or Sand Balls?

Township ships an update every 2 weeks, and Sand Balls every 2 months. Most recently, Township was updated on November 12, 2026 and Sand Balls on November 12, 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.*