# Design Diary vs Elementrix

The clearest difference is ads: Elementrix at none against Design Diary's shown. Elementrix also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 weeks). Design Diary's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.1). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Design Diary sells 26 one-off in-app purchases and Elementrix sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Design Diary ships an update every 3 weeks, Elementrix every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Design Diary | Elementrix |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (436 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/design-diary-garden-and-match/id6472796891/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **436** | — |
| Positive reviews | 69.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 275 MB | 85 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Hangzhou Mengku Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1434262327) | [ArrowSpade](https://appshunter.io/developer/6791439111) |

## What reviewers say

### Design Diary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/design-diary-garden-and-match/id6472796891)

Design beautiful homes and solve engaging match-3 puzzles in this free offline game. Help characters renovate various spaces, from courtyards to coffee bars, unlocking new areas and furniture as you progress through hundreds of addictive levels.

**Highlights:** Creative home design, Fascinating storylines, Hundreds of match-3 puzzles, Multiple houses and areas to decorate, Unlockable 3D furniture, Offline play

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

**In-app purchases (26)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1000 Coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| Special Offer | $0.99 | one-time |
| Christmas Sale | $1.99 | one-time |
| Flash Sale | $1.99 | one-time |
| Mysterious Gift | $1.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| 2 Hours Unlimited Lives | $1.99 | one-time |
| Piggy Bank | $2.99 | one-time |
| 5000 Coins | $3.99 | one-time |
| Mysterious Gift | $3.99 | one-time |
| Special Offer | $4.99 | one-time |
| Flash Sale | $4.99 | one-time |
| Pro Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Piggy Bank | $5.99 | one-time |
| Mysterious Gift | $6.99 | one-time |
| Piggy Bank | $7.99 | one-time |
| Harvest Sale | $7.99 | one-time |
| Mega Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Piggy Bank | $9.99 | one-time |
| Mysterious Gift | $12.99 | one-time |
| Energy Pack | $12.99 | one-time |
| Special Offer | $15.99 | one-time |
| Super Pack | $19.99 | one-time |
| Mysterious Gift | $29.99 | one-time |
| Master Pack | $39.99 | one-time |
| Legendary Pack | $79.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Stunning graphics and beautiful visual design
- 😊 Relaxing and enjoyable gameplay experience
- 🏠 Fun house/room decoration mechanics
- ⭐ Levels are not overly difficult early on
- 💰 Optional spending - progression possible without paying

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📺 Excessive forced ads after every level
- 😤 Ads are extremely long (100+ seconds) and intrusive
- 📈 Difficulty spike dramatically increases after level 100-170
- 💸 Becomes pay-to-win at higher levels
- 🎨 Decorative items are too childish/pre-teen oriented

**Reported bugs**

- Game progress lost on device change or glitches
- Levels become impossible to complete without paid boosters
- Accessibility issues for players with special needs

**Requested features**

- Game progress save/cloud backup system
- More mature decoration styles for adult players
- Continued expansion of merge game storyline
- More frequent content updates and new features
- Better explanation of in-game currency usage


### Elementrix

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elementrix/id6791439109)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Month Ad Free | $1.99 | per month |
| Plus Plan | $2.99 | per month |
| Pro Plan | $5.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Design Diary free?

Design Diary is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Elementrix free?

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

### Do Design Diary or Elementrix have ads?

Design Diary shows ads; Elementrix does not.

### Which is updated more often, Design Diary or Elementrix?

Design Diary ships an update every 3 weeks, and Elementrix every 3 days. Most recently, Design Diary was updated on October 27, 2026 and Elementrix on October 25, 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.*