# Hexa Up! vs Pencil Sort™

The clearest difference is update cadence: Hexa Up! at every 10 days against Pencil Sort™'s every 3 weeks. Hexa Up! also leads on review sentiment (30% vs 19%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hexa Up! sells 8 one-off in-app purchases and Pencil Sort™ sells 10 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 — 4.7 for Hexa Up! against 4.6 for Pencil Sort™. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 13K and 8.9K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 30% of Hexa Up!'s written reviews are positive against 19% of Pencil Sort™'s.

Hexa Up! ships an update every 10 days, Pencil Sort™ every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on November 4, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hexa Up! | Pencil Sort™ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (13K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hexa-up/id6479986725/reviews)** | [4.6 (8.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pencil-sort-color-sorting/id6502805895/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **13K** | 8.9K |
| Positive reviews | **29.6% of reviews** | 19.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 339 MB | 207 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Home Entertainment Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1868355276) | [Onetap Global Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1706028654) |

## What reviewers say

### Hexa Up!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hexa-up/id6479986725)

This game challenges players to sort and stack hexagonal blocks to create intricate patterns. It offers a relaxing yet stimulating puzzle experience with a unique 3D view and customizable home decor rewards. Compete with friends globally and sharpen your cognitive skills.

**Highlights:** Hexagon stacking and sorting gameplay, Unique 3D hexagonal structure view, Bright and colorful graphics, Customizable home decoration unlocks, Global social functions and leaderboards, Stimulating brainteaser puzzles

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

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Coins | $1.99 | one-time |
| Winnner's Wheel | $1.99 | one-time |
| Endless Treasure | $3.99 | one-time |
| Piggy Bank | $3.99 | one-time |
| Beginners Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads! | $5.99 | one-time |
| Heartfelt Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Value Bundle | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Addictive gameplay
- 👍 Relaxing and fun
- 🎨 Enjoyable decorating feature

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Too many ads
- 🐛 Buggy and glitchy
- 🔋 Overheats phone and drains battery
- 💰 Expensive to remove ads

**Reported bugs**

- Levels freeze or lock up
- Paid ad removal doesn't work
- Purchased items disappear

**Requested features**

- Allow restarting from level 1
- Improve color/tile visibility
- Provide more information on coin usage


### Pencil Sort™

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pencil-sort-color-sorting/id6502805895)

Immerse yourself in a 3D hexagon puzzle adventure where you arrange and merge colorful tiles to create complete pencils. Solve intricate sorting challenges with stunning visuals and satisfying ASMR effects.

**Highlights:** 3D hexagon puzzle gameplay, Color sorting and merging mechanics, Create complete pencils, Stunning 3D graphics, Multiple challenging levels, Satisfying ASMR effects

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Piggy Bank Level 1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Pack Mini | $1.99 | one-time |
| Bundle Mini | $1.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Piggy Bank Level 2 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Treasure Hunt Normal | $2.99 | one-time |
| Limit Time Pack 1 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Bundle Medium | $4.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $7.99 | one-time |
| Treasure Hunt Medium | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Unique pencil art
- 🧠 Challenging puzzles
- ⏱️ No time limits

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💢 Excessive ads
- 🔋 Battery draining
- 🔒 Suspicious browser redirects
- 🤕 Inappropriate content in drawings

**Reported bugs**

- Inconsistent point tracking
- Lives randomly depleting
- Crashes and freezes

**Requested features**

- Endless/unlimited mode
- Ability to speed up pencil drawing animation
- Improved level progression and difficulty scaling


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hexa Up! free?

Hexa Up! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Pencil Sort™ free?

Pencil Sort™ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Hexa Up! or Pencil Sort™?

Hexa Up! is rated higher. Hexa Up! averages 4.7 out of 5 from 13K ratings, while Pencil Sort™ averages 4.6 from 8.9K ratings.

### Do Hexa Up! or Pencil Sort™ have ads?

Both Hexa Up! and Pencil Sort™ show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hexa Up! or Pencil Sort™?

Hexa Up! ships an update every 10 days, and Pencil Sort™ every 3 weeks. Most recently, Hexa Up! was updated on November 4, 2026 and Pencil Sort™ on November 4, 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.*