# Idle Space Mining vs EmberForge

The clearest difference is rating: Idle Space Mining at 5.0 against EmberForge's 4.0. Idle Space Mining also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). EmberForge's advantage is ratings volume (4 vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Idle Space Mining holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 4 respectively.

Idle Space Mining ships an update weekly, EmberForge every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Idle Space Mining | EmberForge |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-space-mining/id6790513254/reviews)** | [4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/emberforge-idle-tycoon/id6792414502/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **4** |
| Positive reviews | — | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 121 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ISAAC MICHAEL FRETT](https://appshunter.io/developer/1877499106) | [BRAXTON REED CHANDLER](https://appshunter.io/developer/6792414504) |

## What reviewers say

### Idle Space Mining

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-space-mining/id6790513254)

Build and expand a space mining empire through incremental upgrades and strategic choices. Reset your progress to gain permanent bonuses and achieve ultimate power. Earn resources even while offline.

**Highlights:** Incremental mining empire building, Strategic doctrine choices, Prestige system with Dark Matter, Permanent upgrades via Star Shards, Offline earnings, Challenging game modes, Comet catching events

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### EmberForge

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/emberforge-idle-tycoon/id6792414502)

Build a blacksmithing empire by tapping to earn gold and hiring workers to automate production. Unlock new tiers of producers and prestige to gain permanent bonuses. Customize your forge with cosmetic skins.

**Highlights:** Tap-to-earn core loop, Hire workers for automation, 8 tiers of producers with upgrades, Prestige system for bonuses, Offline earnings, Unlockable cosmetic skins

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Idle Space Mining free?

Idle Space Mining is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is EmberForge free?

EmberForge is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Idle Space Mining or EmberForge?

Idle Space Mining is rated higher. Idle Space Mining averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while EmberForge averages 4.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Idle Space Mining or EmberForge have ads?

Both Idle Space Mining and EmberForge show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Idle Space Mining or EmberForge?

Idle Space Mining ships an update weekly, and EmberForge every 5 days. Most recently, Idle Space Mining was updated on October 7, 2026 and EmberForge on October 6, 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.*