Comparison

No Ads 2048 vs Glowherd

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

Head to head
About

No Ads 2048

Experience the classic 2048 puzzle game with multiple board sizes and unique modes. Enjoy uninterrupted gameplay with no advertisements. Save your progress and undo moves to refine your strategy.

Highlights
  • Ad-free gameplay
  • Multiple board sizes (3x3, 4x4, 5x5)
  • Undo move functionality
  • Special game modes (Spawn 32, Spawn 128)
  • Completely free to play
Features
Read full description

A completely free 2048 game without ads. Game Modes: - Classic 4x4 - Classic 3x3 - Classic 5x5 - Undo 20 3x3 - Undo 20 4x4 - Undo 20 5x5 - Spawn 32 4x4 - Spawn 128 4x4

About

Glowherd

Guide luminous orbs through dynamic, rippling space in this arcade game. Tap to launch waves, build momentum, and aim for increasingly challenging high scores. Enjoy simple, one-handed gameplay designed for both quick sessions and extended play.

Highlights
  • One-tap, one-handed gameplay
  • No account required
  • Round-based progression
  • Score chase mechanics
  • Optional ad removal purchase
Features
Read full description

Tap the dark. Move the light. Glowherd is a calm, glowing one-tap arcade game about herding fireflies. You never touch them. Every tap sends out a soft ripple that pushes the fireflies away from your finger. Nudge, angle and coax the whole flock into the glowing pen, hold them there for a heartbeat, and the round is yours. YOUR FIREFLIES ARE YOUR LIVES, AND YOUR BURDEN Each firefly is a life. Drift one into a void and the dark takes it for good. Survive and the flock grows: every few rounds a new firefly joins. That gives you more room for mistakes, but also a bigger, messier herd to get into the pen. It's a light to protect and a puzzle to steer all at once. EASY TO START, HARD TO PUT DOWN • One touch: tap anywhere to ripple. That's the whole control scheme. • Limited ripples and a ticking clock each round, so every tap counts. • Voids appear from round 3. From round 4 the pen starts to drift, and it shrinks as the night goes on. • Score by clearing rounds fast with ripples to spare. • Runs last a minute or two, so it's perfect for a quick break. CALM, GLOWING, BEAUTIFUL Warm fireflies on a deep night sky, a breathing mint pen, and soft sound throughout: hushed ripples, rising chimes as your flock settles, a gentle night ambience. Sound respects your silent switch and mixes with your own music. CHASE THE DAWN • Game Center leaderboards for best score and highest round • 8 achievements, from Night Shepherd to Until Dawn and Not One Lost • Share a glowing score card with friends FAIR AND FREE Glowherd is free with ads. You get one optional rewarded revive per run. A single Remove Ads purchase turns off banner and interstitial ads forever. Herd the glow. Mind the dark.

Screenshots

No Ads 20483 screens
Glowherd4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: No Ads 2048 at none against Glowherd's shown. No Ads 2048 also leads on ratings volume (543 vs 2). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence 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. No Ads 2048 sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and Glowherd sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Glowherd holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: No Ads 2048 has 543 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 93% of No Ads 2048's written reviews are positive against 100% of Glowherd's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
No Ads 2048 versus Glowherd: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNo Ads 2048Glowherd
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (543 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews93.5% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings543 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS16.4 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTalking Chicken FriendThomas Masters

Customer experience

No Ads 2048

All ratings521 ratings
Positive96.0%
Neutral2.9%
Negative1.2%
Written reviews46 reviews
Positive93.5%
Neutral2.2%
Negative4.3%

Glowherd

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

No Ads 2048

Requested features

5 requests
  • Explanation of how to play for new users
  • Control over row pushes when all squares are at three
  • Replay review function to see how numbers combined
  • Setting to control spawn rate
  • Finalize move of the board when finger is lifted

Glowherd

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

5 purchases

No Ads 2048

One-time5
  • Espresso$0.99
  • Buy me a coffee$0.99
  • Americano$1.99
Show 2 more
  • Cappuccino$3.99
  • Large Latte$6.99
1 purchases

Glowherd

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$1.99

Questions

Is No Ads 2048 free?
No Ads 2048 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Glowherd free?
Glowherd is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, No Ads 2048 or Glowherd?
Glowherd is rated higher. No Ads 2048 averages 4.8 out of 5 from 543 ratings, while Glowherd averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do No Ads 2048 or Glowherd have ads?
Glowherd shows ads; No Ads 2048 does not.
Which is updated more often, No Ads 2048 or Glowherd?
No Ads 2048 ships an update every 2 months, and Glowherd every 2 months. Most recently, No Ads 2048 was updated on November 7, 2026 and Glowherd on November 10, 2026.

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