Comparison

Planetary Idle vs Elemental Merge

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

Head to head
About

Planetary Idle

Explore planets with a retro sci-fi idle theme. Hire scientists for passive income, tap for boosts, and research expeditions for discoveries. Prestige to reset with permanent upgrades and unlock perks with rare QBits.

Highlights
  • Hire Scientists for passive income
  • Tap to boost active income
  • Research expeditions for discoveries
  • Prestige system with permanent upgrades
  • Earn QBits for powerful perks
  • Offline progress for 6 hours
Features
Read full description

Discover planets with a retro sci-fi idle theme with Planetary Idle! • Hire Scientists - Generate steady passive income and scale your operation. • Tap to Boost - Tap for extra cash when you’re active. • Research Expeditions - Spend money and brave scientists on one-way missions for discoveries and income bonuses! • Prestige - Reset, keep permanent upgrades, blast past your previous best. • QBits & Upgrades - Earn rare QBits and unlock powerful perks. • Play Your Pace - Short bursts or long idles; progress for 6 hours when offline. • Game Center - Many achievements to unlock!

About

Elemental Merge

This game lets you merge atoms to discover new elements and progress through the periodic table. Earn resources to upgrade production and unlock bonuses, offering a relaxing yet strategic science-inspired experience.

Highlights
  • Merge atoms to unlock new elements
  • Collect elements across the periodic table
  • Strategic upgrades with Particles, Anti-matter, Magic flasks
  • Relaxing chemistry game inspired by science
  • Long-term goal of reaching Element 118
  • Idle progression and discovery gameplay
Features
Read full description

Elemental Merge is a relaxing and addictive merge atoms game where science meets strategy. Dive into a world built around the building blocks of the universe and discover how elements are formed through clever atom merge mechanics. By merging two identical atoms, you unlock new and more advanced elements, gradually working your way through the entire periodic table. At its core, Elemental Merge is a unique periodic table game designed to make learning and progression feel rewarding and intuitive. Each merge brings you closer to mastering all known elements, with the ultimate goal of reaching the final element: Oganesson (Element 118). Whether you enjoy casual progression or long-term goals, this element game offers a satisfying sense of discovery every step of the way. As a relaxing yet strategic chemistry game, Elemental Merge blends educational inspiration with classic merge gameplay. Players who enjoy science merge and alchemy merge style games will feel right at home as they unlock new elements, boost production, and optimize their progression. The experience is easy to pick up but offers depth for players who enjoy planning efficient merges. Throughout your journey, you will earn powerful resources such as Particles, Anti-matter, and Magic flasks. These upgrades enhance production speed, unlock bonuses, and help you progress faster through increasingly complex element merging chains. Strategic use of these boosts is key to advancing efficiently and mastering the atomic system. Elemental Merge is perfect for fans of idle progression, thoughtful upgrades, and discovery-based gameplay. Whether you see it as a fun atom game, a relaxing element merging experience, or a creative take on an alchemy merge system, the game offers hours of satisfying progression. Key Features: • Simple and rewarding merge atoms gameplay • Unlock and collect elements across the entire periodic table • Strategic upgrades using Particles, Anti-matter, and Magic flasks • A relaxing chemistry game inspired by real science • Perfect for fans of atom merge, science merge, and element game mechanics • Long-term goal of reaching Element 118, Oganesson Elemental Merge combines the joy of discovery with smooth progression and thoughtful upgrades. Whether you are a science enthusiast, a casual merge fan, or someone looking for a unique periodic table game, Elemental Merge delivers a satisfying and engaging experience. Start merging, unlock new elements, and see how far your atomic mastery can go. Download Elemental Merge today and begin your journey through the elements — one merge at a time.

Screenshots

Planetary Idle4 screens
Elemental Merge4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Planetary Idle at 4.8 against Elemental Merge's 3.9. Planetary Idle also leads on update cadence (weekly vs monthly) and ratings volume (77 vs 24). Elemental Merge's advantage is review sentiment (69% vs 50%) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Both are free to download. Planetary Idle sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Elemental Merge sells 13 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Planetary Idle holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 77 and 24 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 50% of Planetary Idle's written reviews are positive against 69% of Elemental Merge's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Planetary Idle ships an update weekly, Elemental Merge monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Planetary Idle versus Elemental Merge: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPlanetary IdleElemental Merge
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (77 ratings) — better3.9 (24 ratings)
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews68.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings77 — better24
Update frequencyWeekly — betterMonthly
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS1712.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size112 MB319 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRoberto Frias NerioBigyan Tripathi

Customer experience

Planetary Idle

All ratings77 ratings
Positive96.1%
Neutral1.3%
Negative2.6%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

Elemental Merge

All ratings24 ratings
Positive70.8%
Neutral12.5%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews16 reviews
Positive68.8%
Neutral18.8%
Negative12.5%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Planetary Idle

One-time3
  • Booster Pack$0.99
  • Research Pack$2.99
  • Quantum Pack$6.99
13 purchases

Elemental Merge

One-time13
  • Quick Boost 3 Hour$0.99
  • Faster Auto Merge!$0.99
  • Ad Skipper V1$0.99
Show 10 more
  • Permanent Booster V1$0.99
  • Quick Boost 12 Hour$1.99
  • Faster Auto Merge V2!$1.99
  • Ad Skipper V2$1.99
  • Quick Boost 1 Day$2.99
  • Faster Auto Merge V3!$2.99
  • Permanent Booster V3$2.99
  • Permanent Booster V2$2.99
  • Ad Skipper V3$2.99
  • Disable all ads!$4.99

Questions

Is Planetary Idle free?
Planetary Idle is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Elemental Merge free?
Elemental Merge is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Planetary Idle or Elemental Merge?
Planetary Idle is rated higher. Planetary Idle averages 4.8 out of 5 from 77 ratings, while Elemental Merge averages 3.9 from 24 ratings.
Do Planetary Idle or Elemental Merge have ads?
Both Planetary Idle and Elemental Merge show ads.
Which is updated more often, Planetary Idle or Elemental Merge?
Planetary Idle ships an update weekly, and Elemental Merge monthly. Most recently, Planetary Idle was updated on October 15, 2026 and Elemental Merge on October 6, 2026.

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