# Idle Elements vs 3D Printer Idle

The clearest difference is update cadence: Idle Elements at daily against 3D Printer Idle's every 4 months. Idle Elements also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Idle Elements ships an update daily, 3D Printer Idle every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Idle Elements | 3D Printer Idle |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-elements/id6502619739/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **2** | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Daily** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | — |
| Size | 96 MB | 189 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nigmatic Sound LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1451103347) | [Sena Nur Akyuz](https://appshunter.io/developer/1647433668) |

## What reviewers say

### Idle Elements

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-elements/id6502619739)

Merge crystals by matching three or more to generate increasingly large numbers. Manage your elements carefully to avoid negative consequences as you play.

**Highlights:** Match 3 crystal merging, Idle gameplay mechanics, Number generation, Element management, Strategic gameplay

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### 3D Printer Idle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/3d-printer-idle-print-3d-fun/id6743059457)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Idle Elements free?

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

### Is 3D Printer Idle free?

3D Printer Idle is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Idle Elements or 3D Printer Idle have ads?

Both Idle Elements and 3D Printer Idle show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Idle Elements or 3D Printer Idle?

Idle Elements ships an update daily, and 3D Printer Idle every 4 months. Most recently, Idle Elements was updated on October 3, 2026 and 3D Printer Idle on October 1, 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.*