Comparison

Span vs Model Engine Builder

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

Head to head
About

Span

Features
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Span is a calm, physics-driven bridge builder. Draw a bridge across the gap, choose your materials, then press Test and watch it carry the load — or buckle in glorious slow motion. Every beam glows with the forces running through it: a live X-ray of tension and compression, so you can see exactly why it held, or why it snapped. Rewind, move one strut, try again. • 57 hand-built levels across eight worlds — timber valleys to ocean straits • Timber, steel, stone, cables and road & rail decks • Real hazards: wind, earthquakes, thermal stress and floods • Drawbridges, canal locks, trains and passing ships • God-mode Sandbox: unlimited budget, every material, every disaster • Level editor: sculpt terrain, place anchors, schedule the traffic • One-tap replay export — share your best holds and worst fails No ads. No timers. No subscription. Buy once, build forever. Free through Chapter 1 — unlock the full game (all worlds, the sandbox and the editor) with a single purchase. Road vehicle models by Daniel Zhabotinsky (CC BY 4.0). Full credits in-app.

About

Model Engine Builder

Features
Read full description

Build a miniature engine one part at a time in a retro pixel workshop. Choose from eight designs: diesel, OHV, DOHC, two-stroke, parallel twin, inline four, V-twin and boxer four. Fit parts in order, tighten bolts to the right torque, adjust each engine’s setup and time its ignition. The same engine model appears in selection and assembly. Follow moving pistons, connecting rods and the compact DOHC timing chain as you build. Every stage contributes to a score out of 1,000. Keep a personal best and recent build history for each engine on your device. Three engines are available from the start. Unlock the others by completing optional rewarded ads. The non-consumable Remove Ads purchase removes advertising and unlocks all engines; purchases can be restored. Play in English, Korean, Japanese, French, Spanish, German, Traditional Chinese, Thai, Italian or Hindi. Change language in the globe menu. Advertising privacy choices are available where required. A stylized assembly and timing game, not a repair manual or engineering simulator. Compete on a separate Game Center leaderboard for each of the eight engines. Online rankings require Game Center sign-in.

Screenshots

Span4 screens
Model Engine Builder4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Span at none against Model Engine Builder's shown. Span also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 weeks). Model Engine Builder's advantage is iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). On price, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Span sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Model Engine Builder sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Span ships an update every 5 days, Model Engine Builder every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 4, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 3 level
Span versus Model Engine Builder: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpanModel Engine Builder
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS17.015.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size60 MB20 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDodecki LabsMIN GYu OH

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Span

One-time1
  • Span Complete$7.99
1 purchases

Model Engine Builder

One-time1
  • removeads$1.99

Questions

Is Span free?
Span is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Model Engine Builder free?
Model Engine Builder is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Span or Model Engine Builder have ads?
Model Engine Builder shows ads; Span does not.
Which is updated more often, Span or Model Engine Builder?
Span ships an update every 5 days, and Model Engine Builder every 2 weeks. Most recently, Span was updated on October 4, 2026 and Model Engine Builder on October 4, 2026.

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