Comparison

Pixel Grid Guardians vs Crush Lab 3D

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

Head to head
About

Pixel Grid Guardians

A retro pixel arcade strategy game blending number merging with tower defense. Deploy and merge pixel spaceships to defend your grid against waves of alien invaders, planning your merges carefully to increase ship power and survive increasingly tough challenges.

Highlights
  • Grid-based tower defense with number merging mechanics
  • Deploy and merge pixel spaceships to upgrade power
  • Defend against waves of alien invaders
  • 20 handcrafted campaign levels
  • Endless Mode for high score chasing
  • Retro pixel art visuals
  • Offline play supported
Features
Read full description

Pixel Grid Guardians: Numbers Defense The retro pixel arcade strategy game that combines addictive number merging with the tactical depth of tower defense — a grid-based merge puzzle game wrapped in satisfying pixel art. Command a fleet of pixel spaceships to defend your grid against waves of alien invaders. Deploy ships, merge identical ones to double their power, and watch them blast enemies with fiery projectiles. A level 1 + level 1 becomes a level 2. Two level 2s become a level 4. The stronger your ships, the more damage they deal — but the aliens get tougher every wave, so plan your merges carefully. How to Play: Tap to deploy your next ship on the defense grid Match identical ships to merge them into more powerful vessels Ships automatically fire at aliens in their row each turn Drag to reposition or swap ships for better grid strategy Survive all rounds to earn up to 3 stars per level Features: 20 handcrafted campaign levels with increasing difficulty Endless Mode — survive as long as you can and chase the high score Game Center leaderboards — challenge friends and players worldwide Retro pixel art visuals with satisfying attack and explosion animations 5 evolving alien enemy types that grow more menacing as power increases 3 ship tiers that visually upgrade as you merge higher No internet required — play anywhere, anytime

About

Crush Lab 3D

Experience the oddly satisfying sensation of shredding objects in this puzzle game. Feed items into the grinder, fill containers with the resulting material, and manage the conveyor's limited capacity. It's a unique and engaging way to pass the time.

Highlights
  • Shredding objects
  • Filling containers
  • Conveyor belt management
  • Puzzle gameplay
  • Satisfying visuals
Features
Read full description

Don't you love watching things go into a shredder? It's oddly satisfying, isn't it? We took this feeling and built a puzzle game around it. Feed the things into the shredder Fill the containers with grinds Watch out for the conveyor: it's got a limited capacity! We're sure you'll love it! Start grinding today!

Screenshots

Pixel Grid Guardians4 screens
Crush Lab 3D4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Crush Lab 3D at none against Pixel Grid Guardians's 8. Pixel Grid Guardians's advantage is update cadence (daily vs monthly). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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. Pixel Grid Guardians sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. Crush Lab 3D asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Pixel Grid Guardians against 5.0 for Crush Lab 3D. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 2 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pixel Grid Guardians ships an update daily, Crush Lab 3D monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Pixel Grid Guardians versus Crush Lab 3D: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPixel Grid GuardiansCrush Lab 3D
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (4 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better2
Update frequencyDaily — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size22 MB168 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAlyssa Jean KabigtingBugbomb sp z oo

In-app purchases

8 purchases

Pixel Grid Guardians

One-time8
  • Handful of Gems$0.99
  • Pouch of Gems$2.99
  • Booster Pack - Nuke x3$2.99
Show 5 more
  • Booster Pack - Freeze x3$2.99
  • Booster Pack - Attack x3$2.99
  • Chest of Gems$4.99
  • Booster Pack - All x3$4.99
  • Unlimited Lives$9.99
None

Crush Lab 3D

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Pixel Grid Guardians free?
Pixel Grid Guardians is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Crush Lab 3D free?
Crush Lab 3D is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Pixel Grid Guardians or Crush Lab 3D?
Pixel Grid Guardians and Crush Lab 3D are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 4 and 2 ratings respectively.
Do Pixel Grid Guardians or Crush Lab 3D have ads?
Neither Pixel Grid Guardians nor Crush Lab 3D shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pixel Grid Guardians or Crush Lab 3D?
Pixel Grid Guardians ships an update daily, and Crush Lab 3D monthly. Most recently, Pixel Grid Guardians was updated on October 16, 2026 and Crush Lab 3D on October 28, 2026.

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