Comparison

Stackdown vs Sand Buckets

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

Head to head
About

Stackdown

Uncover six five-letter words hidden within a stack of tiles. Strategically select tiles, revealing new possibilities with each word found. Enjoy a daily puzzle, a vast archive, and practice modes, all playable offline.

Highlights
  • Uncover hidden five-letter words
  • Strategic tile selection
  • Daily puzzles and archive
  • Offline play
  • Spoiler-free sharing
  • Practice modes
Features
Read full description

Six five-letter words are buried in a stack of thirty tiles. Dig them out, one at a time, until the stack is gone. Only tiles with nothing resting on top of them can be picked. Take one and the tiles beneath may come free — so every word you find opens up the next. 【How It Works】 Tap free tiles to spell a word, in order. Find all six words to clear the stack. Stuck? Swipe the hint slider for a clue about the current word. Finish without hints and you earn all five stars. 【Only One Word Ever Fits】 This is the part that makes the puzzle work. At any moment there is exactly one word you can build from the free tiles — and only one set of tiles that builds it. Every stack in the game has been checked by an independent solver that walks every legal move, so you will never spell a real word and be told you are wrong. 【A Daily, Plus a Deep Archive】 A new stack arrives every day, with a streak to keep. Hundreds of past stacks stay playable in the archive, no account needed, and three hundred practice stacks wait in easy, medium and hard. Badges, best times, and a timer you can leave switched off round out the record. 【Share Your Front Page】 Every solve prints a result card — your time, your stars, your streak — ready to share with friends, with a spoiler-free option that hides the answers. Same stack, same six words: who digs out faster? 【Built to Be Pleasant】 Stackdown works fully offline, with no sign-in and no server. There are no forced ads in the middle of a puzzle, and a single purchase removes ads for good. Full iPad support, in light and dark. If you play the daily Stackdown web puzzle, this is that game on your phone: the whole back catalogue in your pocket, a proper share card, and somewhere to keep your streak. Stackdown is not affiliated with Waffle Studio or Puzzlist. 【Terms of Use (EULA)】 https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Sand Buckets

Features
Read full description

Let it flow in Sand Buckets – a mesmerizing physics puzzle where every grain of sand matters! Your mission is simple: release the colored sand, guide the flow and fill every bucket with the right color. Watch the sand tumble, split and settle — then plan the perfect pour. Along the way, fill your way through hundreds of levels, chase perfect runs for extra stars and open daily mystery crates. When the flow gets messy, boosters like Eject and Pour keep things tidy. ⏳ Features: - Hypnotic real-time sand physics that feels amazing - Hundreds of pouring puzzles plus an Endless mode - Clever boosters: Eject and Pour - Daily mystery crates packed with rewards - Satisfying perfect-run challenges, plays fully offline Can you fill every bucket without spilling a grain? — VIP is available as an auto-renewing subscription (Monthly or Yearly). Payment is charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless it is canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your Apple ID account settings after purchase. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://sumpix.co/privacy-games.html

Screenshots

Stackdown4 screens
Sand Buckets4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Sand Buckets at daily against Stackdown's every 8 days. Sand Buckets also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads, 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. Stackdown sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Sand Buckets sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Stackdown ships an update every 8 days, Sand Buckets daily. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 6 level
Stackdown versus Sand Buckets: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStackdownSand Buckets
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Update frequencyEvery 8 daysDaily — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB98 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperIkuhei KureSumpix Srl

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Stackdown

One-time1
  • Premium$4.99
10 purchases

Sand Buckets

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly VIP$3.991 Month
  • Yearly VIP$9.991 Year
One-time8
  • 1,200 Coins$0.99
  • 10 Gems$1.99
  • Starter Bundle$2.99
Show 5 more
  • 7,000 Coins$4.99
  • Value Bundle$7.99
  • 16,000 Coins$9.99
  • Mega Bundle$14.99
  • 140 Gems$19.99

Questions

Is Stackdown free?
Stackdown is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Sand Buckets free?
Sand Buckets is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Stackdown or Sand Buckets have ads?
Both Stackdown and Sand Buckets show ads.
Which is updated more often, Stackdown or Sand Buckets?
Stackdown ships an update every 8 days, and Sand Buckets daily. Most recently, Stackdown was updated on October 25, 2026 and Sand Buckets on October 13, 2026.

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