HackStack vs Paperclip Empire
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
HackStack
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Build your hacking empire from nothing. HackStack is an idle clicker set in a cybersecurity underworld. You tap to run exploits, deploy tools that earn while you sleep, research new tech, and build out your rig. It's a cyberpunk parody of the infosec world with real hacking history baked into every corner. EXECUTE exploits to earn CREDS, your in-game currency. Start with a humble Port Scanner. End up running Neural Exploits and a Digital Consciousness. Every tool you deploy keeps earning even when you close the app. RESEARCH 24 tools across 6 categories. Each one comes with an intel card covering real cybersecurity history and lore. 177 cards to find. BUILD YOUR RIG. Upgrade your CPU, RAM, GPU, Storage, Cooling, and PSU. Better hardware means faster research and access to higher-tier tools. EARN CERTIFICATIONS across three branches: Offensive, Defensive, and Management. 23 certs, 69 tiers. They shape how you play and what you can unlock. SURVIVE BREACHES. Phishing attacks, ransomware, DDoS, insider threats. They show up unannounced, they mess with your income, and you need to deal with them fast. COMPLETE DAILY OPS for XP. Quick wins, standard missions, and challenge-tier operations. Something different every day. PRESTIGE when you're ready. Wipe your progress, earn Shadow Creds, buy permanent upgrades, and come back stronger. Free to play. No pay-to-win. Made by one developer who thought Cookie Clicker needed more firmware implants.
Paperclip Empire
Start with a single paperclip and tap to build an empire. Automate production, hire staff, and unlock new products to grow your wealth. Renovate your shop to reset progress with a permanent multiplier and start over with a head start.
- Tap to start production
- Build automation and hire staff
- Unlock new products and upgrades
- Renovate shop for permanent multipliers
- Hand-illustrated patent-manual aesthetic
- Offline progress tracking
- Random events
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Welcome to Paperclip Empire, an idle incremental about the slow art of turning nothing into everything. PAPERCLIP EMPIRE You weren't built for customer service. Your last boss called you something you don't understand but... You took it as a compliment. Rent was due on Friday. You needed an idea. Any idea. It wasn't a scientific breakthrough. It was barely an idea. It was a bent piece of wire. And it was enough. WHAT YOU'LL DO Start with a single paper clip and tap a button. Build automation. Hire staff. Unlock new products, scissors, adhesive tape, wood glue, screws, nails, hammers. Each one is a small mini-game with its own production cycle, prices, and upgrades. Stack them together and watch the cash compound. When you've squeezed all you can out of one cycle, RENOVATE THE SHOP: reset your products, keep a permanent reputation multiplier, and start over with a head start. The numbers get bigger every loop. FEATURES — Hand-illustrated patent-manual aesthetic. Warm aged paper, blueprint blue, vermilion ink. No flat icons, no gradient slop. — 7 products spanning two eras: from a garage to a neighborhood hardware shop. — Three production stages per product: manual taps, automation, and staffed by employees with hireable multipliers and ×2 milestones at 5, 10 and 15 hires. — Random events that pause production: breakdowns, inspectors, theft. Pay to skip or wait it out. And positive ones too (big orders, windfalls, viral posts) that you can claim for instant cash before the window closes. — Smooth, native progress bars. Page-turn transitions between cinematic scenes. Tap haptics calibrated to feel like a real mechanical counter. — An original cinematic intro and lore. An original in-game soundtrack. Sound effects with pitch variation so the loop never feels repetitive. — Cloud-free. No account. No login. No tracking. All progress saved locally on your device. — Offline progress: while you're away, your shop keeps earning. Capped at 1 hour by default, 24 hours with optional VIP. OPTIONAL IN-APP PURCHASES All purchases are completely optional. The full game is finishable without spending a single cent, IAPs only accelerate or extend it. — Autopress Basic / Steady / Rapid: hold the tap button and the game taps for you at 1, 3 or 5 taps per second. Quick taps still work normally; hold is the autopress. — VIP Offline: extends offline progress cap from 60 minutes to 24 hours. — Instant Boost 1 Hour / 1 Day: instantly deposit the cash you would have earned over that span, calculated from your current production. The shop shows you the exact amount before you decide. NO ADS. NO ACCOUNT. You won't see a single ad. You won't be asked to sign in. We don't collect analytics about you, we don't track you across the internet, we don't sell anything you do in the app. The whole game runs on your phone. Privacy Policy: https://www.banshee.pro/paperclipempire/privacy/ Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Paperclip Empire at none against HackStack's shown. On price, update cadence, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. HackStack sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Paperclip Empire sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
HackStack ships an update weekly, Paperclip Empire every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 15, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | HackStack | Paperclip Empire |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 3.5 (4 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 75.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 4 — better |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 16.4 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 68 MB | 163 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Jacob Woodfield | Banshee Technologies S.L. |
In-app purchases
HackStack
- Remove Banner Ads$2.99
- Remove Offline Ads$2.99
- Remove Ops Ads$2.99
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- Remove All Ads$6.99
Paperclip Empire
- Autopress Basic: 1 Tap per Second$0.99
- Instant Boost: 1 Hour of Earnings$0.99
- The Clip of Abundance$0.99
Show 4 moreShow fewer
- Autopress Steady: 3 Taps per Second$2.99
- Instant Boost: 24 Hours of Earnings$2.99
- Autopress Rapid: 5 Taps per Second$3.99
- VIP: Offline Earnings up to 24h$5.99





