# Supernova vs Merge Lighthouse

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Merge Lighthouse at none against Supernova's 10. Merge Lighthouse also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). Supernova's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs monthly) and device support (5 vs 2). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Supernova sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Merge Lighthouse asks for nothing beyond the download.

Supernova ships an update every 2 days, Merge Lighthouse monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Supernova | Merge Lighthouse |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (78 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/supernova-idle-star-forge/id6779555607/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **78** | — |
| Positive reviews | 77.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 15 MB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | +4 |
| Developer | [HUGO ANATOLE PAUL MORICEAU](https://appshunter.io/developer/1845368412) | [Seonggon Sim](https://appshunter.io/developer/1565259950) |

## What reviewers say

### Supernova

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/supernova-idle-star-forge/id6779555607)

An idle space tycoon game where you fuse hydrogen to grow and detonate stars. Earn permanent power-ups with each supernova to accelerate future runs. Features offline progress and a visually evolving star.

**Highlights:** Fuse hydrogen to create and grow stars, Offline progress and production, Visually evolving star stages, Prestige system with supernova cinematics, Deep multiplier stacking and research upgrades, Daily missions and streaks, Fully offline gameplay

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 50 Photons | $0.99 | one-time |
| Time Warp: 4 Hours | $1.99 | one-time |
| Break the Piggy Bank | $2.99 | one-time |
| Automation Core | $3.99 | one-time |
| Supporter Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Time Warp: 24 Hours | $4.99 | one-time |
| 300 Photons | $4.99 | one-time |
| 700 Photons | $9.99 | one-time |
| Time Warp: 7 Days | $14.99 | one-time |
| 1600 Photons | $19.99 | one-time |


### Merge Lighthouse

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merge-lighthouse/id6787807174)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Supernova free?

Supernova 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 Supernova or Merge Lighthouse have ads?

Neither Supernova nor Merge Lighthouse shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Supernova or Merge Lighthouse?

Supernova ships an update every 2 days, and Merge Lighthouse monthly. Most recently, Supernova was updated on October 31, 2026 and Merge Lighthouse on October 25, 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.*