# Hex vs Dropping Penguin

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Hex at none against Dropping Penguin's 5. Hex also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Dropping Penguin's advantage is update cadence (every 5 months vs every 13 months). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Dropping Penguin sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Hex asks for nothing beyond the download.

Hex ships an update every 13 months, Dropping Penguin every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hex | Dropping Penguin |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 13 months | **Every 5 months** |
| Size | 59 MB | 83 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [David Barile](https://appshunter.io/developer/853552042) | [Wong Kai Sing](https://appshunter.io/developer/1682862705) |

## What reviewers say

### Hex

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hex-o/id6587577466)

**In-app purchases:** none


### Dropping Penguin

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dropping-penguin/id6760830288)

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Gem x20 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Gem x50 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Gem x140 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Gem x320 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Gem x720 | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hex free?

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

### Is Dropping Penguin free?

Dropping Penguin is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Hex or Dropping Penguin have ads?

Dropping Penguin shows ads; Hex does not.

### Which is updated more often, Hex or Dropping Penguin?

Hex ships an update every 13 months, and Dropping Penguin every 5 months. Most recently, Hex was updated on October 6, 2026 and Dropping Penguin on October 3, 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.*