# Phantom Orb Puzzle vs Pattern Pop

The clearest difference is price: Phantom Orb Puzzle at Free against Pattern Pop's $0.99. Phantom Orb Puzzle also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). Pattern Pop's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Phantom Orb Puzzle is free to download; Pattern Pop costs $0.99 up front. Phantom Orb Puzzle sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and Pattern Pop sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Phantom Orb Puzzle | Pattern Pop |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $0.99 |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pattern-pop-tile-puzzle-game/id6758681761/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **6** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Monetization | — | Paid |
| Size | 265 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Metric Studio Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1618098746) | [Tony Ferraro](https://appshunter.io/developer/1874424281) |

## What reviewers say

### Phantom Orb Puzzle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phantom-orb-puzzle/id6505093016)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 100 Shards | $1.99 | one-time |
| 200 Shards | $2.99 | one-time |
| 500 Shards | $5.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $5.99 | one-time |
| 1,000 Shards | $10.99 | one-time |


### Pattern Pop

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pattern-pop-tile-puzzle-game/id6758681761)

A minimalist tile-matching puzzle game with over 100 levels. Tap groups of identical tiles to clear the board and reach target scores. Enjoy a calm, ad-free experience with no timers or distractions.

**Highlights:** 100+ levels, Completely ad-free, No internet required, No account or tracking, Clean black-and-white aesthetic, Optional tip jar

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Buy Me a Coffee | $7.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Phantom Orb Puzzle free?

Phantom Orb Puzzle is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Pattern Pop free?

Pattern Pop costs $0.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Do Phantom Orb Puzzle or Pattern Pop have ads?

Phantom Orb Puzzle shows ads; Pattern Pop does not.

### Which is updated more often, Phantom Orb Puzzle or Pattern Pop?

Phantom Orb Puzzle ships an update weekly, and Pattern Pop weekly. Most recently, Phantom Orb Puzzle was updated on November 4, 2026 and Pattern Pop on October 31, 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.*