Stack Balance vs PuzzleMate
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side โ with what reviewers say about each.
Stack Balance
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How high can you stack before it all comes crashing down? Stack Balance is pure physics fun - drop wooden blocks one by one and build the tallest tower you can. Every block lands with realistic weight and momentum. One wrong move and the whole thing tips over. - Real Physics Powered by SpriteKit, every drop feels different. Blocks bounce, slide, and wobble based on where they land. No two games play the same. - Two Ways to Play Endless Mode: Take your time and build as high as possible. No pressure, just pure stacking satisfaction. 60-Second Sprint: Race against the clock for the highest score. Every second counts. - Precision Timing Blocks swing across the top of the screen. Tap at the perfect moment to land cleanly. Master the timing to reach new heights. - Track Your Progress Personal best scores for each mode are saved automatically. Break your record and earn a celebration. - Clean and Simple No ads. No in-app purchases. No accounts needed. Just open and play. Whether you have 30 seconds or 30 minutes, Stack Balance is the perfect quick game that keeps you coming back for one more try. Download now and see how high you can go.
PuzzleMate
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PuzzleMate is a chess trainer with 500,000 chess puzzles offline - for players who want to study chess tactics seriously. No trackers, no ad banners, no data collection. The complete chess puzzle database ships inside the app. After download, you never need an internet connection again. Nothing leaves your device. Learn chess, solve mate puzzles, crack chess problems, master endgames and openings - all in an app that looks like a well-made book instead of a typical mobile game. PERSONAL COACH Your coach gets to know your game over a 50-puzzle assessment It builds an individual training plan around your six weakest tactical motifs Set a daily target, keep your streak, get a gentle daily reminder A detailed summary after every session shows exactly what improved Difficulty stays right at your level and adapts as your rating climbs DAILY CHESS PUZZLE A new chess puzzle every day Seven-day streak indicator Daily puzzle stays available in your history ADAPTIVE CHESS ELO TRAINING Glicko-2 ratings per tactical theme and opening category Dynamic difficulty matched to your chess skill level Transparent ELO changes after every solved chess puzzle No black box - every rating change is explainable GHOST MODE - CHESS FROM MEMORY Memorize the position for ten seconds, then the pieces vanish Solve the chess puzzle from memory alone Ten chess puzzles per session Daily updated leaderboard Didn't catch everything? Five-second peek budget per puzzle CHESS BOARD VISION TRAINER Identify chess squares instantly on the board Unlimited practice mode 60-second mode with its own daily leaderboard Sharpens board awareness for real chess games WEAKNESS ANALYSIS Your six weakest tactical motifs at a glance ELO and solve rate per chess theme Tap any theme to start targeted chess training instantly PROFILE AND CHESS HISTORY ELO progression graph over time Calendar view of daily chess results Complete history of every solved chess puzzle Replay any daily puzzle with a single tap TWO TIERS OF ACCESS Free version: 1,000 chess puzzles, daily allowance for puzzles, Ghost rounds and Vision practice Pro version unlocks over 500,000 chess puzzles, unlimited Ghost mode and unlimited Vision trainer, plus weekly and monthly recaps, sparklines, manual theme boost, achievements and data export No ad banners, no advertising IDs, no in-app advertising No sign-up, no account, no email address required DESIGN WITH CHARACTER Editorial style instead of generic app aesthetics Warm cream tones on near-black background Georgia as both display and body font Hairline separators instead of cards, no rounded corners A chess app that reads like a 1970s textbook OFFLINE AND DATA-MINIMAL Complete chess puzzle database bundled with the app No internet connection required after install No trackers, no advertising IDs, no personal data shared with third parties WHO IS PUZZLEMATE FOR? For chess beginners who want a structured way to learn chess tactics. For club players between 1200 and 2000 ELO who want to close their tactical gaps. For advanced players who want to train visualization through Ghost mode. For anyone looking for a quiet, focused chess trainer without noise. HOW DOES THE CHESS TRAINING WORK? You start with an ELO rating per tactical theme (fork, skewer, discovered attack, mating nets, and more). After every solved chess puzzle, PuzzleMate adjusts the difficulty - correct solutions raise your ELO, mistakes lower it slightly. This way you always get chess puzzles right at your learning edge: hard enough to challenge you, manageable enough to see progress. The Glicko-2 calculation considers not only success or failure, but also your confidence while solving. Solving a puzzle quickly and cleanly earns more ELO than reaching the solution after several failed attempts. Languages: German, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Stack Balance at none against PuzzleMate's 1. PuzzleMate's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs monthly). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS
Both are free to download. PuzzleMate sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Stack Balance asks for nothing beyond the download.
Stack Balance ships an update monthly, PuzzleMate weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Stack Balance | PuzzleMate |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Weekly โ better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No โ better | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 โ better | 15.1 |
| Further details โ not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 131 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | ๆ ้ญ | Ronny Stasiak |
In-app purchases
Stack Balance
No in-app purchases
PuzzleMate
- PuzzleMate Pro$5.99









