Comparison

Merge Balloon vs Stack Borough

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

Head to head
About

Merge Balloon

Features
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Pop into the sky! Merge Balloon flips the classic merge puzzle on its head. Instead of fruit dropping down, your balloons float up. Match two balloons, watch them merge, and drift higher into the sky. Simple to learn, hard to put down. Relax, merge, and chase your high score in the most satisfying balloon puzzle around. =A FRESH TWIST ON MERGE PUZZLES= Everyone drops fruit into a box. Merge Balloon sends your balloons floating up into the open sky โ€” the same addictive "merge two to make one bigger" magic, with a brand-new feeling. =RELAXING AND SATISFYING= No countdown clock. Just smooth physics, gentle floating, and that oh-so-satisfying pop when balloons combine. Perfect for winding down, killing time, or a quick brain break. =EASY TO PLAY, HARD TO MASTER= Tap to release a balloon. Line up matches. Plan ahead so the sky doesn't fill up. One more try, every time. =MAKE IT YOUR STYLE= Play with adorable balloon faces that smile as they grow, switch to clean numbered balloons, or turn overlays off for a pure look. Your game, your vibe. =FEATURES= - Unique float-up merge gameplay - Cute balloon faces, numbers, or a clean minimal style - Relaxing, stress-free vibe - Chase your personal best high score - Quick sessions, play one-handed anytime - Free to play =FREE, WITH NO PRESSURE ADS= Merge Balloon is free. Prefer zero interruptions? Remove ads forever with a single one-time purchase. No subscriptions, ever. Ready to let your balloons fly? Download Merge Balloon and reach for the sky!

About

Stack Borough

Features
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Swap tiles on the board to line up three or more matching materials and gather what a building needs. Bricks, wood, glass, steel, paint and tools each count toward a building recipe, so plan which clusters to clear first. Line up four to make a beam that clears a whole row and column, or five for a wrecking ball that blasts the area around it. When the board gets stuck, spend a few coins on a hammer, some dynamite, or a full board shuffle. Each plot is a match-3 level with its own recipe and a move limit. Buy the empty plot with coins, meet the recipe in time, and the building rises on the spot. Finished buildings earn passive coins minute after minute, which you collect and pour back into new plots and upgrades. Upgrading a building raises its income, so a busy borough keeps paying while you play. Work through districts that each have their own look, from a warm Old Town to Market Row and the Harborside. Grids grow larger as you progress and some cells are blocked off, which changes how tiles fall and where matches form. Stars reward clean boards with moves to spare.

Screenshots

Merge Balloon4 screens
Stack Borough4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Stack Borough at none against Merge Balloon's 1. Stack Borough also leads on ads (none vs shown). Merge Balloon's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, 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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Merge Balloon sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Stack Borough asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Merge Balloon ships an update every 2 days, Stack Borough every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences ยท 3 level
Merge Balloon versus Stack Borough: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMerge BalloonStack Borough
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 days โ€” betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsYesNo โ€” better
In-app purchasesYesNo โ€” better
DevicesiPhone, iPad โ€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.0 โ€” better17.6
Further details โ€” not scored
Size127 MB33 MB
Age rating12+9+
DeveloperOpirayOmirkhan Baikonurov

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Merge Balloon

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$9.99
None

Stack Borough

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Merge Balloon free?
Merge Balloon is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Stack Borough free?
Stack Borough is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Merge Balloon or Stack Borough have ads?
Merge Balloon shows ads; Stack Borough does not.
Which is updated more often, Merge Balloon or Stack Borough?
Merge Balloon ships an update every 2 days, and Stack Borough every 2 weeks. Most recently, Merge Balloon was updated on October 4, 2026 and Stack Borough on October 5, 2026.

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