# Planetary Idle vs Elemental Merge

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.

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.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Planetary Idle | Elemental Merge |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (77 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planetary-idle/id6450142774/reviews)** | [3.9 (24 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elemental-merge/id6741715769/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **77** | 24 |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **68.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 112 MB | 319 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Roberto Frias Nerio](https://appshunter.io/developer/1692039143) | [Bigyan Tripathi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1795227954) |

## What reviewers say

### Planetary Idle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planetary-idle/id6450142774)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Booster Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Research Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Quantum Pack | $6.99 | one-time |


### Elemental Merge

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elemental-merge/id6741715769)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Quick Boost 3 Hour | $0.99 | one-time |
| Faster Auto Merge! | $0.99 | one-time |
| Ad Skipper V1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Permanent Booster V1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Quick Boost 12 Hour | $1.99 | one-time |
| Faster Auto Merge V2! | $1.99 | one-time |
| Ad Skipper V2 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Quick Boost 1 Day | $2.99 | one-time |
| Faster Auto Merge V3! | $2.99 | one-time |
| Permanent Booster V3 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Permanent Booster V2 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Ad Skipper V3 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Disable all ads! | $4.99 | one-time |


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