# Pixel Drop vs The Needle in the Haystack

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Pixel Drop at 15.0 against The Needle in the Haystack's 18.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pixel Drop sells 9 one-off in-app purchases and The Needle in the Haystack sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pixel Drop | The Needle in the Haystack |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (267 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-drop-the-gates/id6785521521/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **267** | — |
| Positive reviews | 60.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days | Every 4 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 227 MB | 51 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Moment Games Teknoloji Anonim Sirketi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1609209348) | [Alessandro Brning](https://appshunter.io/developer/6787298701) |

## What reviewers say

### Pixel Drop

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-drop-the-gates/id6785521521)

Control a dynamic hole to swallow colorful pixels and match them with their corresponding targets. Clear all gates by filling them with the correct colors to win each level in this engaging puzzle game.

**Highlights:** Dynamic hole control, Pixel collection and swallowing, Color matching with gates, Level-based progression, Satisfying visual feedback

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Fail Offer | $0.99 | one-time |
| Coin Pack 1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Coin Pack 2 | $7.99 | one-time |
| NoAds | $7.99 | one-time |
| Coin Pack 3 | $14.99 | one-time |
| Coin Pack 4 | $29.99 | one-time |
| Coin Pack 5 | $54.99 | one-time |
| Coin Pack 6 | $99.99 | one-time |


### The Needle in the Haystack

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-needle-in-the-haystack/id6806463803)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 100 Credits | $0.99 | one-time |
| 300 Credits | $2.99 | one-time |
| 500 Credits | $3.99 | one-time |
| 1,000 Credits | $8.99 | one-time |
| 2,000 Credits | $17.99 | one-time |
| 5,000 Credits | $44.99 | one-time |
| 10,000 Credits | $89.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pixel Drop free?

Pixel Drop is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is The Needle in the Haystack free?

The Needle in the Haystack is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Pixel Drop or The Needle in the Haystack have ads?

Both Pixel Drop and The Needle in the Haystack show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pixel Drop or The Needle in the Haystack?

Pixel Drop ships an update every 4 days, and The Needle in the Haystack every 4 days. Most recently, Pixel Drop was updated on November 5, 2026 and The Needle in the Haystack on November 1, 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.*