# Elemental Sands vs Scratch Inc.

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Scratch Inc. at 93% against Elemental Sands's 44%. Scratch Inc. also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.2) and ads (none vs shown). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Elemental Sands sells 31 one-off in-app purchases and Scratch Inc. sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scratch Inc. holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Scratch Inc. has 1.9K ratings behind it against 68, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 44% of Elemental Sands's written reviews are positive against 93% of Scratch Inc.'s.

Elemental Sands ships an update every 3 weeks, Scratch Inc. every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Elemental Sands | Scratch Inc. |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (68 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elemental-sands/id6474100439/reviews) | **[4.7 (1.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scratch-inc/id6745529538/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 68 | **1.9K** |
| Positive reviews | 44.1% of reviews | **93.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 215 MB | 40 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [TapTide Interactive](https://appshunter.io/developer/1711698136) | [Makopaz LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1479952757) |

## 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


### Scratch Inc.

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scratch-inc/id6745529538)

An idle incremental game where you build an empire by scratching cards and earning points. Upgrade your cards, unlock automation, and prestige to progress faster. Enjoy endless upgrades, achievements, and global leaderboards with no ads or wait timers.

**Highlights:** Endless Upgrades, Prestige for Progress, Achievements with Rewards, Global Leaderboards, Playable Offline, No Ads

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 20 Gold | $1.99 | one-time |
| 55 Gold | $4.99 | one-time |
| 120 Gold | $9.99 | one-time |
| 260 Gold | $19.99 | one-time |
| 750 Gold | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Enjoyable gameplay
- 🚀 Satisfying idle mechanics
- 💡 Active developer listening to feedback
- 👍 Optional in-app purchases
- 👍 Polished interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 In-app purchases feel expensive
- 🔧 Needs more balance and content
- 🐛 Offline rewards not working consistently

**Reported bugs**

- Offline rewards rarely triggering
- Lacking sound effects

**Requested features**

- More skin tone options for avatar
- Better variety and more offline rewards


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Elemental Sands free?

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

### Is Scratch Inc. free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Elemental Sands or Scratch Inc.?

Scratch Inc. is rated higher. Elemental Sands averages 4.2 out of 5 from 68 ratings, while Scratch Inc. averages 4.7 from 1.9K ratings.

### Do Elemental Sands or Scratch Inc. have ads?

Elemental Sands shows ads; Scratch Inc. does not.

### Which is updated more often, Elemental Sands or Scratch Inc.?

Elemental Sands ships an update every 3 weeks, and Scratch Inc. every 6 days. Most recently, Elemental Sands was updated on October 7, 2026 and Scratch Inc. on October 15, 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.*