# Play vs Melon Smash!

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Play at none against Melon Smash!'s 10. Play also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs monthly). Melon Smash!'s advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.3) and ratings volume (12K vs 114). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Melon Smash! sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per 7 days. Play asks for nothing beyond the download.

Melon Smash! holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Melon Smash! has 12K ratings behind it against 114, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 50% of Play's written reviews are positive against 36% of Melon Smash!'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Play ships an update weekly, Melon Smash! monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Play | Melon Smash! |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (114 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/play-box-adventure/id6476747189/reviews) | **[4.7 (12K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/melon-smash/id6479434603/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 114 | **12K** |
| Positive reviews | **50.0% of reviews** | 36.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 755 MB | 438 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Umair Manzoor](https://appshunter.io/developer/1650202435) | [Liudmyla Petryshyn](https://appshunter.io/developer/1024436268) |

## What reviewers say

### Play

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/play-box-adventure/id6476747189)

Create your own open-world game, design landscapes, and build characters. Engage in shooting battles with your custom allies and enemies. Assemble a dream team from various inspirations and conquer the sandbox world.

**Highlights:** Open-world game creation, Craft allies and enemies, Unlimited shooting battles, Customizable landscapes, Variety of weapons, Assemble dream teams

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Melon Smash!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/melon-smash/id6479434603)

Engage in a creative sandbox experience where you can build anything imaginable, from houses to entire cities. Explore diverse environments, customize your hero, and enjoy endless adventures with no set goals.

**Highlights:** Unlimited building possibilities, Hero customization, Vast explorable world, No set game goals, Variety of environments, Creative freedom

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Event Pass | $14.99 | per 7 days |
| Characters Pass | $24.99 | per 7 days |
| Escape from Prison | $4.99 | one-time |
| Chef Location | $4.99 | one-time |
| Melon Scientist | $5.99 | one-time |
| No Ads Forever | $5.99 | one-time |
| Clock Boss | $5.99 | one-time |
| Event Cyborg Boss | $9.99 | one-time |
| Event Solar Boss | $9.99 | one-time |
| Yellow Rooms | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Fun gameplay
- 🎨 Interesting visuals
- 🤩 Wow factor

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 Too many ads
- 🐛 Buggy and unstable
- 🤖 Copycat of other games

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes and freezes
- Lost progress and saved data
- Compatibility issues on some devices

**Requested features**

- Reduce ads or offer ad-free version
- Improve stability and fix bugs
- Add more unique features and content


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Play free?

Play is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Melon Smash! free?

Melon Smash! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Play or Melon Smash!?

Melon Smash! is rated higher. Play averages 4.3 out of 5 from 114 ratings, while Melon Smash! averages 4.7 from 12K ratings.

### Do Play or Melon Smash! have ads?

Melon Smash! shows ads; Play does not.

### Which is updated more often, Play or Melon Smash!?

Play ships an update weekly, and Melon Smash! monthly. Most recently, Play was updated on October 30, 2026 and Melon Smash! on November 10, 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.*