# Elemental Sands vs Elemental Merge

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Elemental Merge at 69% against Elemental Sands's 44%. Elemental Merge also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). Elemental Sands's advantage is rating (4.2 vs 3.9). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Elemental Sands sells 31 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.

Elemental Sands holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 68 and 24 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 44% of Elemental Sands'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.

Elemental Sands ships an update every 3 weeks, Elemental Merge monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Elemental Sands | Elemental Merge |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.2 (68 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elemental-sands/id6474100439/reviews)** | [3.9 (24 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elemental-merge/id6741715769/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **68** | 24 |
| Positive reviews | 44.1% of reviews | **68.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 215 MB | 319 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [TapTide Interactive](https://appshunter.io/developer/1711698136) | [Bigyan Tripathi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1795227954) |

## 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


### 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 Elemental Sands free?

Elemental Sands 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, Elemental Sands or Elemental Merge?

Elemental Sands is rated higher. Elemental Sands averages 4.2 out of 5 from 68 ratings, while Elemental Merge averages 3.9 from 24 ratings.

### Do Elemental Sands or Elemental Merge have ads?

Both Elemental Sands and Elemental Merge show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Elemental Sands or Elemental Merge?

Elemental Sands ships an update every 3 weeks, and Elemental Merge monthly. Most recently, Elemental Sands was updated on October 17, 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.*