# Elemental Sands vs Hell Idlers 2

The clearest difference is rating: Elemental Sands at 4.3 against Hell Idlers 2's 3.5. Hell Idlers 2's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On price, ratings volume, 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 Hell Idlers 2 sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Elemental Sands holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 70 and 25 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 44% of Elemental Sands's written reviews are positive against 58% of Hell Idlers 2's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Elemental Sands ships an update every 3 weeks, Hell Idlers 2 weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Elemental Sands | Hell Idlers 2 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (70 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elemental-sands/id6474100439/reviews)** | [3.5 (25 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hell-idlers-2pack-match-merge/id6648784576/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **70** | 25 |
| Positive reviews | 44.1% of reviews | **57.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 222 MB | 249 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [TapTide Interactive](https://appshunter.io/developer/1711698136) | [Ildar Alishev](https://appshunter.io/developer/1654902151) |

## 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


### Hell Idlers 2

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hell-idlers-2pack-match-merge/id6648784576)

Engage in strategic PvP duels and PvE campaigns to liberate the galaxy. Master item merging, choose from diverse heroes, and enhance characters with a deep perk system for endless adventure.

**Highlights:** 1v1 PvP duels, Galactic campaign mode, Cooperative raids, Item merging system, Over 40 unique heroes, Extensive perk system

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove ads | $3.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Free to play, no ads
- ✨ No in-app purchases
- 👍 Fun and engaging gameplay
- 👍 Surprisingly deep gameplay
- 👍 Passion project by developer

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📉 Game-breaking bugs
- 📉 Progress loss on reinstall
- 📉 Unresponsive UI elements
- 📉 Imbalanced PvP
- 📉 Repetitive gameplay

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes when loading maps
- Game freezes on loading screen
- Bug prevents progress
- App freezes when starting planets
- Stuck at reward claim screen

**Requested features**

- Add sound and music
- Add clans or alliances
- Add continuous level/free roam
- Add daily rewards
- Add option to replay past levels


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Elemental Sands free?

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

### Is Hell Idlers 2 free?

Hell Idlers 2 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Elemental Sands or Hell Idlers 2?

Elemental Sands is rated higher. Elemental Sands averages 4.3 out of 5 from 70 ratings, while Hell Idlers 2 averages 3.5 from 25 ratings.

### Do Elemental Sands or Hell Idlers 2 have ads?

Elemental Sands shows ads; Hell Idlers 2 does not.

### Which is updated more often, Elemental Sands or Hell Idlers 2?

Elemental Sands ships an update every 3 weeks, and Hell Idlers 2 weekly. Most recently, Elemental Sands was updated on October 30, 2026 and Hell Idlers 2 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.*