Comparison

Idle Code Tycoon vs Merge Lighthouse

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Idle Code Tycoon

Build and automate a coding empire from intern to tycoon. Tap to write code, upgrade your gear, and hire developers to generate lines of code even while offline. Prestige to unlock permanent perks and climb the leaderboards.

Highlights
  • Tap to write code
  • Automate workflow
  • Hire developers
  • Prestige for permanent bonuses
  • Unlock permanent perks
  • Redesigned interface
Features
Read full description

[AD FREE] Write code. Automate production. Build a software empire. Idle Code Tycoon is an incremental idle game where every tap grows your company. Start with WRITE_CODE(), unlock automatic production, upgrade your tools, complete contracts, ship releases and keep earning while you’re away. BUILD AND AUTOMATE • Tap or hold to generate code • Unlock offline production • Upgrade developers, IDEs, servers, cloud systems, AI tools and more • Build your Tech Stack with permanent upgrades SHIP NEW RELEASES • Complete Roadmap objectives • Launch major releases and minor patches • Earn permanent bonuses • Track your deployment history MERGE AND GROW • Merge your codebase for Prestige Points • Strengthen future runs • Reach upgrades faster • Keep pushing toward the next milestone MORE WAYS TO PROGRESS • Timed backlog contracts • Sprint Focus strategies • Production boosts • Surprise bugs with extra rewards • Game Center achievements and leaderboards • iCloud sync and offline earnings • No ads There is always another upgrade, release, contract, achievement or Merge waiting. Write. Automate. Merge. Repeat. Made by a solo developer :)

About

Merge Lighthouse

Features
Read full description

Merge Lighthouse is a cozy merge + idle game. Drag matching light parts together to power up your lighthouse — the brighter it shines, the bigger the ships you can guide safely to harbor, and the more coins you earn. FEATURES - Simple, satisfying merge gameplay: combine parts from a dim lamp to a blazing Tier-10 Beacon. - Idle income: your lighthouse keeps earning while you're away. - Combos: chain quick merges to boost ship rewards. - Rare golden ships: catch them for a big payout. - Daily challenges and login rewards. - Prestige (Rebirth) for permanent brightness bonuses. - Boosters: coin storm, auto-merge, time warp and more. - Relaxing hand-crafted visuals and music. Play offline, anytime. Light up the coast, one merge at a time!

Screenshots

Idle Code Tycoon4 screens
Merge Lighthouse4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Merge Lighthouse at none against Idle Code Tycoon's 8. Merge Lighthouse also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). Idle Code Tycoon's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs monthly). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Idle Code Tycoon sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. Merge Lighthouse asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Idle Code Tycoon ships an update every 2 weeks, Merge Lighthouse monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Idle Code Tycoon versus Merge Lighthouse: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterIdle Code TycoonMerge Lighthouse
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (335 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews67.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings335 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS17.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB28 MB
Age rating4++4
DeveloperMariana BrasilSeonggon Sim

In-app purchases

8 purchases

Idle Code Tycoon

One-time8
  • 25 Points$0.99
  • Starter Developer Kit$1.99
  • First Merge Bundle$1.99
Show 5 more
  • 50 Points$1.99
  • 90 Points$2.99
  • Double Productivity$3.99
  • 200 Points$4.99
  • 500 Points$9.99
None

Merge Lighthouse

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Idle Code Tycoon free?
Idle Code Tycoon is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Merge Lighthouse free?
Merge Lighthouse is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Idle Code Tycoon or Merge Lighthouse have ads?
Neither Idle Code Tycoon nor Merge Lighthouse shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Idle Code Tycoon or Merge Lighthouse?
Idle Code Tycoon ships an update every 2 weeks, and Merge Lighthouse monthly. Most recently, Idle Code Tycoon was updated on October 15, 2026 and Merge Lighthouse on October 4, 2026.

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