# Elemental Sands vs Starbase Chill

The clearest difference is ads: Starbase Chill at none against Elemental Sands's shown. Starbase Chill also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 weeks). Elemental Sands's advantage is ratings volume (68 vs 4) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.5). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Elemental Sands sells 31 one-off in-app purchases and Starbase Chill sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.2 for Elemental Sands against 4.3 for Starbase Chill. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Elemental Sands has 68 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Elemental Sands ships an update every 3 weeks, Starbase Chill every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Elemental Sands | Starbase Chill |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (68 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elemental-sands/id6474100439/reviews) | **[4.3 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starbase-chill/id6478611890/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **68** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 44.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 215 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.5 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [TapTide Interactive](https://appshunter.io/developer/1711698136) | [Joshua Kaden](https://appshunter.io/developer/417845202) |

## What reviewers say

### Elemental Sands

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elemental-sands/id6474100439)

Build and automate a magical business empire in a fantasy world. Harness elemental powers to boost production and profits, collect rare items, and expand your reach to become a legendary CEO. This idle clicker game blends strategy with enchanting visuals.

**Highlights:** Build and automate business empire, Harness elemental power for production, Collect magical items and abilities, Increase company valuation and profits, Explore a fantasy world, Strategic management gameplay

**In-app purchases (31)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 24 Gold | $0.99 | one-time |
| Study Bundle | $2.99 | one-time |
| Enduring Study Bundle | $2.99 | one-time |
| Volatile Study Bundle | $2.99 | one-time |
| Scorching Study Bundle | $2.99 | one-time |
| The Water Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| High Tide Event Pass | $4.99 | one-time |
| Energy Surge Event Pass | $4.99 | one-time |
| The Vitality Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Lifeblood Event Pass | $4.99 | one-time |
| Auto Buy | $4.99 | one-time |
| The Strength Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Heavy Hitters Event Pass | $4.99 | one-time |
| The Nature Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Wild Growth Event Pass | $4.99 | one-time |
| The Electric Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| No Ads Boost | $4.99 | one-time |
| 135 Gold | $4.99 | one-time |
| 310 Gold | $9.99 | one-time |
| Research Bundle | $12.99 | one-time |
| Volatile Research Bundle | $12.99 | one-time |
| Enduring Research Bundle | $14.99 | one-time |
| Scorching Research Bundle | $14.99 | one-time |
| Volatile Proficiency Bundle | $24.99 | one-time |
| 740 Gold | $24.99 | one-time |
| Enduring Proficiency Bundle | $29.99 | one-time |
| Scorching Proficiency Bundle | $29.99 | one-time |
| Mastery Bundle | $49.99 | one-time |
| Scorching Mastery Bundle | $49.99 | one-time |
| Volatile Mastery Bundle | $49.99 | one-time |
| 5200 Gold | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Refreshing free-to-play model
- 🎶 Excellent soundtrack
- 👍 Unique currency system
- 👍 Enjoyable idle gameplay
- 👍 Good aesthetic and art style

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐢 Drastic slowdown in progression
- 📉 Slow early game progression
- 📉 Progression feels stagnant
- 📉 Lack of rewarding progression
- 📉 Very slow and lacking features

**Reported bugs**

- Progress lost twice due to account issues
- App fails to load (tuning transmission frequencies)
- Updates bricked progress
- New patch reset sand capacity and spawn rate
- Game is locked with question marks on start

**Requested features**

- Convert excess sand to vials offline
- Increase level cap
- More content and end goals
- Formal suggestion channel (Discord)
- More mechanics in future updates


### Starbase Chill

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starbase-chill/id6478611890)

Engage in a relaxed starbase simulation with no time pressure or objectives. Manage complex systems, explore vast space, and focus on what you find interesting in a peaceful, offline environment.

**Highlights:** Starbase management, Space exploration, No urgency or time limits, Offline single-device play, No score or victory conditions, Low-stress environment

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| One dollar tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Two dollar tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| Five dollar tip | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Elemental Sands free?

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

### Is Starbase Chill free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Elemental Sands or Starbase Chill?

Starbase Chill is rated higher. Elemental Sands averages 4.2 out of 5 from 68 ratings, while Starbase Chill averages 4.3 from 4 ratings.

### Do Elemental Sands or Starbase Chill have ads?

Elemental Sands shows ads; Starbase Chill does not.

### Which is updated more often, Elemental Sands or Starbase Chill?

Elemental Sands ships an update every 3 weeks, and Starbase Chill every 2 days. Most recently, Elemental Sands was updated on October 17, 2026 and Starbase Chill on October 11, 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.*