# Auto Drill vs Needle in Haystack

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Auto Drill at 58% against Needle in Haystack's 7%. Auto Drill also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.3) and ads (none vs shown). Needle in Haystack's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs fortnightly). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Auto Drill sells 16 one-off in-app purchases and Needle in Haystack sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Auto Drill holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Auto Drill has 276 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 58% of Auto Drill's written reviews are positive against 7% of Needle in Haystack's.

Auto Drill ships an update fortnightly, Needle in Haystack every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Auto Drill | Needle in Haystack |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (276 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/auto-drill-galaxy/id6790912531/reviews)** | [4.3 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/needle-in-haystack/id6805805837/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **276** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | **57.9% of reviews** | 7.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#34** | — |
| Size | 263 MB | 288 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Lava Labs Oyun Yazılım ve Pazarlama Anonim Şirketi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896302926) | [SERAP KIZILTEPE](https://appshunter.io/developer/1287246882) |

## What reviewers say

### Auto Drill

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/auto-drill-galaxy/id6790912531)

**Currently charting:** #34 Top Free · Strategy, #50 Top Free · Simulation, #69 Top Grossing · Simulation, #87 Top Grossing · Strategy (US App Store)

Pilot an auto-mining ship that automatically destroys planets block by block. Upgrade weapons, collect skills, and enhance your gear to build a powerful galactic drilling machine. Progress through tougher worlds with permanent upgrades.

**Highlights:** Automatic mining ship piloting, Destructible planets with various block types, Unlock and upgrade 10 unique weapons, Collect and fuse skills for buffs, Upgrade ship components (Hulls, Reactor Cores, Engines), Permanent progression across runs

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

**In-app purchases (16)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Solar Gem 1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Gem 1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Solar Offer | $2.99 | one-time |
| Small Chest Offer | $4.99 | one-time |
| Gem 2 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Life Time Boost | $9.99 | one-time |
| Galaxy Pass | $9.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| No Ads | $9.99 | one-time |
| Gem 3 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Deluxe Solar Offer | $19.99 | one-time |
| Gem 4 | $19.99 | one-time |
| Tournament Offer | $29.99 | one-time |
| Epic Pack | $29.99 | one-time |
| Gem 5 | $49.99 | one-time |
| Gem 6 | $99.99 | one-time |


### Needle in Haystack

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/needle-in-haystack/id6805805837)

Search for a hidden needle among thousands of hay pieces. Collect and sell hay, unlock tools, feed animals, and complete community challenges to earn rewards. Explore the farm and barn in this engaging search game.

**Highlights:** Search for hidden needles, Collect and sell hay, Unlock and upgrade tools, Feed farm animals, Complete community challenges, Explore farm and barn

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 100 Hays + No-Ads | $0.49 | one-time |
| 250 Hays + Double Collect + No-Ads | $0.99 | one-time |
| One-Time Exclusive Starter Bundle | $2.99 | one-time |
| 500 Hays + 3x Collect + No-Ads | $2.99 | one-time |
| 1000 Hays + 5x collect + No-Ads | $3.99 | one-time |
| Vehicle Bundle | $8.49 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Auto Drill free?

Auto Drill is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Needle in Haystack free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Auto Drill or Needle in Haystack?

Auto Drill is rated higher. Auto Drill averages 4.8 out of 5 from 276 ratings, while Needle in Haystack averages 4.3 from 3 ratings.

### Do Auto Drill or Needle in Haystack have ads?

Needle in Haystack shows ads; Auto Drill does not.

### Which is updated more often, Auto Drill or Needle in Haystack?

Auto Drill ships an update fortnightly, and Needle in Haystack every 5 days. Most recently, Auto Drill was updated on October 14, 2026 and Needle in Haystack on October 15, 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.*