# Emerald Smash vs Popnova

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Emerald Smash at none against Popnova's 7. Emerald Smash also leads on ads (none vs shown). Popnova's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 7 months) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Popnova sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Emerald Smash asks for nothing beyond the download.

Emerald Smash ships an update every 7 months, Popnova every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Emerald Smash | Popnova |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Size | 124 MB | 165 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [DAMIAN WITKOWSKI](https://appshunter.io/developer/1802883520) | [Asif Mushtaq](https://appshunter.io/developer/6775166453) |

## What reviewers say

### Emerald Smash

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/emerald-smash-memory-game/id6743681423)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Popnova

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/popnova-bubble-shooter/id6814999455)

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Coins Pack 1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Coins Pack 2 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Coins Pack 3 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Coins Pack 4 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Power Ups Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads Pack | $6.99 | one-time |
| Special Pack | $7.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Emerald Smash free?

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

### Is Popnova free?

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

### Do Emerald Smash or Popnova have ads?

Popnova shows ads; Emerald Smash does not.

### Which is updated more often, Emerald Smash or Popnova?

Emerald Smash ships an update every 7 months, and Popnova every 2 weeks. Most recently, Emerald Smash was updated on October 30, 2026 and Popnova 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.*