Comparison

Sparkle 2 vs Simple Match 3

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Sparkle 2

Match orbs with magical enchantments and powerups to stop them from falling into an abyss. Explore mysterious lands, discover enchanted keys, and unlock secrets in this visually stunning puzzle adventure.

Highlights
  • Orb matching puzzle action
  • Magical enchantments and powerups
  • Story, Survival, and Challenge modes
  • Over 90 unique levels
  • 200+ enchantment combinations
  • Voice-over narration
  • Original soundtrack
Features
Read full description

Simply the best marble popper ever made! REVIEWS "Sparkle 2 is a must buy that takes the crown as the best marble shooter in the App Store, and one shining example of iOS entertainment." Apple'n'Apps 4.5/5 "Sparkle 2 stands out from the rest because of its gorgeous visuals and multifaceted gameplay." - 148 Apps 4.5/5 Editors Choice "A well-thought out marble shooter with a nice story, gorgeous graphics, and an amazing soundtrack." - AppAdvice 5/5 "Sparkle 2 is a great iOS game. It’s relatively simple and a whole lot of fun to play." - Capsule Computers 9/10 "Smooth marble popping puzzle action combined with a soothing soundtrack and drop-dead stunning visuals." - JayIsGames DESCRIPTION Challenge the darkness with your swift orb matching skills, mighty magical enchantments and earthshaking powerups. Match the orbs before they fall into the abyss and find your way through mysterious lands of startling beauty! A long time ago five enchanted keys were created. The keys were scattered around the lands, and they still remain undiscovered. Many have come to find them, and so far all have failed. Will you find the keys and unlock the secrets, or will you join the endless ranks of souls forever trapped within these lands? Sparkle 2 is the long-awaited sequel to the award-winning hit game Sparkle enjoyed by millions of players since 2007. Sparkle 2 is an independent sequel and a spiritual successor to the first installment suitable for both new and existing fans of the series. FEATURES - Experience unrestricted premium action puzzle gaming - Admire state of the art special effects - Explore three game modes: Story, Survival, and Challenge - Discover over 90 unique levels throughout the story - Supercharge your Slinger with over 200 combinations of 16 different Enchantments - Find exciting locations and delve into the mystery - Immerse yourself in a story narrated with professional voice overs - Enjoy the soundtrack by the award-winning composer Jonathan Geer Watch the trailer: http://youtu.be/giB9y6-cBFM

About

Simple Match 3

This is a relaxing puzzle game where you swap tiles to make matches of three. Unlock hundreds of unique tiles, customize your game's appearance, and enjoy satisfying effects. It offers a peaceful experience without ads or excessive story elements.

Highlights
  • No ads or subscriptions
  • Hundreds of unique tiles
  • Customizable appearance
  • Daily levels with leaderboards
  • Zen Mode for relaxation
  • Satisfying visual effects
  • Achievements and boosters
Features
Read full description

Simple Match 3 is a relaxing and challenging puzzle game with absolutely no ads. Swap tiles and make matches of 3 to clear levels. Unlock hundreds of unique tiles and customize to fit your style. Discover a variety of different elements and mechanics as you progress through the game. Use satisfying boosters and power ups. Unlike most match-3 games, Simple Match 3 was created to give players a relaxing and satisfying experience, without annoying ads, obnoxious effects, or time wasting story elements. FEATURES: No ads: Absolutely no ads or subscription purchases. The base price includes 350 levels, a unique daily level with leaderboard, and zen mode. 1 small in-app purchase unlocks even more. Customization: Customize to your heart’s content with hundreds of different tiles and lots of different background colors. You can even choose the color of the user interface buttons to match your theme! Daily Level: Play a unique level every single day. Try to make it to the top of the online leaderboard! Zen Mode: Relax and make matches with no move limits, no goals, and limited obstacles in Zen Mode. Satisfying experience: Enjoy super satisfying effects as you clear tiles, smash through crates, destroy glass, and more! The effects were created to be satisfying, without being too obnoxious or overwhelming. Achievements: Complete a variety of achievements to unlock more tiles. Boosters: Spin the prize wheel every day to gain boosters. You can also get even more boosters by completing the daily goal. Handcrafted levels: Play through 350 handcrafted levels and try to earn 3 stars. Some levels are simple, others are more challenging. Discover a variety of unique elements as you progress. If you want more, 1 small in app purchase unlocks 350 more levels. Created with love and care: Developed by a single person with care. Levels are designed to be fun, challenging, and satisfying without the need to purchase endless boosters. Download Simple Match 3 today and see what makes it so special!

Screenshots

Sparkle 24 screens
Simple Match 34 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Sparkle 2 at none against Simple Match 3's 1. Sparkle 2 also leads on iOS requirement (8.0 vs 14.0). Simple Match 3's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 4 months) and price ($1.99 vs $6.99). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Sparkle 2 costs $6.99 and Simple Match 3 $1.99 up front. Simple Match 3 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Sparkle 2 asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Sparkle 2 against 4.8 for Simple Match 3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 324 and 258 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 92% of Sparkle 2's written reviews are positive against 90% of Simple Match 3's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Sparkle 2 ships an update every 4 months, Simple Match 3 weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Sparkle 2 versus Simple Match 3: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSparkle 2Simple Match 3
Price$6.99$1.99 — better
Rating4.8 (324 ratings) — better4.8 (258 ratings)
Positive reviews92.4% of reviews — better89.7% of reviews
Number of ratings324 — better258
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank—#86 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS8.0 — better14.0
Further details — not scored
Size221 MB463 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer10tons LtdMulberry Tree Games, LLC

Customer experience

Sparkle 2

All ratings321 ratings
Positive96.6%
Neutral1.9%
Negative1.6%
Written reviews288 reviews
Positive92.4%
Neutral3.5%
Negative4.2%

Simple Match 3

All ratings247 ratings
Positive93.9%
Neutral2.8%
Negative3.2%
Written reviews195 reviews
Positive89.7%
Neutral6.2%
Negative4.1%

User reviews

Sparkle 2

From 324 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎨 Adorable artwork
  • 👍 Smooth gameplay
  • 🎵 Wonderful music and sound effects
  • 🕹️ Addictive and fun
  • 💻 Excellent for newer devices

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes on iOS 16
  • 📺 Low resolution graphics on some devices
  • 🤯 Levels too easy for experienced players

Simple Match 3

From 258 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Best Match 3 Game
  • 👍 Calming and Engaging
  • 🔒 No Ads or IAPs
  • 👍 Customizable Tiles
  • 👍 Relaxing Music and Sound Effects

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Bugs in Higher Levels
  • 🐛 Impossible Levels Due to Missing Obstacles
  • 🐛 Soft Locks with Rainbow Tiles
  • 🐛 Reward Box Tapping Issue
  • 🐛 Inconsistent Star Rating System

Bugs and requests

Sparkle 2

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Instant crashes on launch
  • Pause menu issues with gesture controls

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add difficulty settings
  • Implement progress sync across devices
  • Restart levels in easier mode

Simple Match 3

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Levels with Missing Obstacles
  • Reward Box Tapping Issue
  • Inconsistent Star Rating System
  • Soft Locks with Rainbow Tiles
  • Crashes on Opening

Requested features

6 requests
  • Level Editor
  • Endless/Survival Mode
  • Improved Power-Up Interactions
  • Hints or Shuffle Option
  • Landscape Support for iPad
Show 1 more
  • iCloud Sync Across Devices

In-app purchases

None

Sparkle 2

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Simple Match 3

One-time1
  • Simple Match 3 Gold$1.99

Questions

Is Sparkle 2 free?
Sparkle 2 costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Simple Match 3 free?
Simple Match 3 costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Sparkle 2 or Simple Match 3?
Sparkle 2 is rated higher. Sparkle 2 averages 4.8 out of 5 from 324 ratings, while Simple Match 3 averages 4.8 from 258 ratings.
Do Sparkle 2 or Simple Match 3 have ads?
Neither Sparkle 2 nor Simple Match 3 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Sparkle 2 or Simple Match 3?
Sparkle 2 ships an update every 4 months, and Simple Match 3 weekly. Most recently, Sparkle 2 was updated on October 26, 2026 and Simple Match 3 on October 27, 2026.

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