# Idle Sand Tycoon vs Mining Rush

The clearest difference is update cadence: Mining Rush at every 4 days against Idle Sand Tycoon's every 3 months. Mining Rush also leads on iOS requirement (12.5 vs 15.0). Idle Sand Tycoon's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.4) and ratings volume (2.6K vs 784). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Idle Sand Tycoon sells 13 one-off in-app purchases and Mining Rush sells 12 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Idle Sand Tycoon holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.6K and 784 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 16% and 16% positive.

Idle Sand Tycoon ships an update every 3 months, Mining Rush every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Idle Sand Tycoon | Mining Rush |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (2.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-sand-tycoon/id6446575926/reviews)** | [4.4 (784 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mining-rush-quarry-simulator/id6479640619/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.6K** | 784 |
| Positive reviews | **16.0% of reviews** | 15.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 211 MB | 343 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.5** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Solid Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/1625798412) | [HOMA GAMES](https://appshunter.io/developer/1508492426) |

## What reviewers say

### Idle Sand Tycoon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-sand-tycoon/id6446575926)

Build a vast sand excavation empire from humble beginnings. Expand your industry, upgrade vehicles and machines, and recruit managers to optimize production. Compete to fulfill orders and become the ultimate sand tycoon.

**Highlights:** Unlock and upgrade buildings, vehicles, and machines, Expand production lines, Discover new maps and mining forms, Recruit business managers, Fulfill orders quickly, Manage VIP customers

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Contains 10 Ad tickets | $0.99 | one-time |
| Diamond Pack 1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Contains 25 Ad tickets | $1.99 | one-time |
| Remove ads for 2 days | $1.99 | one-time |
| Contains 60 Ad tickets | $3.99 | one-time |
| Diamond Pack 2 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Marketing Expert | $4.99 | one-time |
| General Manager | $4.99 | one-time |
| Diamond Pack 3 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Remove ads | $9.99 | one-time |
| Diamond Pack 4 | $19.99 | one-time |
| Diamond Pack 5 | $49.99 | one-time |
| Diamond Pack 6 | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🤑 Awesome game
- 🎮 Fun gameplay
- 🎨 Nice graphics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤖 Forced ads
- 💰 Expensive to remove ads
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches

**Reported bugs**

- Excavator menu gets stuck
- Crashes and freezes
- Upgrade screen issues

**Requested features**

- Add music option
- Improve excavator menu navigation
- Reduce frequency of ads


### Mining Rush

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mining-rush-quarry-simulator/id6479640619)

Operate a quarry, excavate resources, and earn money to upgrade your machinery. Aim to dig deeper and expand your mining operations.

**Highlights:** Operate a quarry, Earn money from excavation, Upgrade mining equipment, Dig as deep as possible, Expand quarry operations

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cash offer 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Gems offer 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Railway Forever | $1.99 | one-time |
| Cash offer 2 | $2.99 | one-time |
| No ads | $2.99 | one-time |
| Gems offer 2 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Mega Drill | $4.99 | one-time |
| Cash offer 3 | $5.99 | one-time |
| Gems offer 3 | $5.99 | one-time |
| Premium Pack Discount | $5.99 | one-time |
| Premium Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Skip'its pack 3 | $12.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Good game
- 🚀 Upgrades available
- 💡 Potential for more levels

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Constant crashing
- 🐛 Game not loading
- 🐛 Digger stops working after upgrades
- 🔒 Paid features not working as expected

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes at certain levels
- Digger stops digging after upgrades
- Paid features not working as intended
- Game not loading past splash screen

**Requested features**

- More quarries/mining locations
- Increased level cap
- Improved stability and bug fixes


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Idle Sand Tycoon free?

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

### Is Mining Rush free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Idle Sand Tycoon or Mining Rush?

Idle Sand Tycoon is rated higher. Idle Sand Tycoon averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.6K ratings, while Mining Rush averages 4.4 from 784 ratings.

### Do Idle Sand Tycoon or Mining Rush have ads?

Both Idle Sand Tycoon and Mining Rush show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Idle Sand Tycoon or Mining Rush?

Idle Sand Tycoon ships an update every 3 months, and Mining Rush every 4 days. Most recently, Idle Sand Tycoon was updated on October 25, 2026 and Mining Rush on October 20, 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.*