Comparison

Idle Forge vs Idle Pickaxe Master

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

Head to head
About

Idle Forge

Features
Read full description

A little forge that doesn't need you. Light the hearth, hire an apprentice, and watch the smithy fill with workers, furnaces and stranger things. Idle Forge is an idle clicker built to be calm: it earns while you're away, asks for nothing when you return, and never punishes you for having a life. MADE TO RESPECT YOUR TIME • Progress continues while the app is closed. Sleep is a strategy • No daily-streak guilt, no timers that expire while you're at work • Rewarded ads are always optional, always a bonus, never a toll • Tapping helps, but it's a pleasure, not a duty: your workers swing the hammers A FORGE WITH SOMEWHERE TO GO • Dozens of generators, from apprentice to things physics won't explain • Reforge to melt it all down for Embers and permanent power • Then Recast: melt the golden anvil down for Gold, and spend it on perks that change how the next climb plays • A living workshop you can watch: every worker you hire is down there on the floor, hammering • Catch drifting fire wisps for a frenzy of production • Achievements, milestones, a daily gift, and yes, an actual ending at the top of the ladder QUIET BY DESIGN • The forge's own sounds (hammer, embers, quench), no music, no noise • Every effect can be switched off, from vibration to embers • Your save is yours: export it as a code, carry it anywhere, no account Free to play. Rewarded ads are opt-in, and everything they grant can also be earned by playing. A short ad may play after a Reforge, at most once every five minutes.

About

Idle Pickaxe Master

Merge pickaxes to create powerful tools for mining ore deposits. Recruit miner helpers with unique abilities and battle bosses to unlock new depths and rewards. Upgrade your tools and progress further into the mine.

Highlights
  • Merge pickaxes of different rarities
  • Battle powerful bosses
  • Recruit unique miner helpers
  • Upgrade tools and progress
  • Mine rich ore deposits
Features
Read full description

Summon pickaxes, merge them into powerful tools, and smash through rich ore deposits in this addictive idle mining game. Build a collection of rare pickaxes, recruit a team of miner helpers with unique abilities, and battle your way through powerful bosses! ▶ MERGE PICKAXES Summon pickaxes of different rarities and merge identical ones to craft even stronger tools. The higher the level — the faster you mine. ▶ BOSS BATTLES Fight powerful bosses to unlock new depths and earn better rewards. ▶ MINER HELPERS Collect unique miner girls with special abilities that boost your efficiency and resource output. ▶ UPGRADES & PROGRESSION Spend your resources to strengthen your tools and push further into the mine. The richest ore veins are waiting — and so are the bosses guarding them. Download now, merge your first pickaxe, and find out how deep you can really go.

Screenshots

Idle Forge4 screens
Idle Pickaxe Master4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Idle Forge at none against Idle Pickaxe Master's 10. Idle Forge also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs fortnightly). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Idle Pickaxe Master sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Idle Forge asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Idle Forge ships an update every 6 days, Idle Pickaxe Master fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Idle Forge versus Idle Pickaxe Master: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterIdle ForgeIdle Pickaxe Master
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.6 (15 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—15 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 days — betterFortnightly
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size78 MB428 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperErik Tobias Rinde TharaldsenFreeplay LLC

In-app purchases

None

Idle Forge

No in-app purchases

10 purchases

Idle Pickaxe Master

One-time10
  • Showel Help Pack$0.99
  • Super Manager$4.99
  • Dungeon Keys$4.99
Show 7 more
  • VIP$7.99
  • Weekly Pack I$8.99
  • No Ads$9.99
  • No Rewarded Ads$14.99
  • Weekly Pack II$17.99
  • Weekly Pack III$49.99
  • Weekly Pack IV$99.99

Questions

Is Idle Forge free?
Idle Forge is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Idle Pickaxe Master free?
Idle Pickaxe Master is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Idle Forge or Idle Pickaxe Master have ads?
Both Idle Forge and Idle Pickaxe Master show ads.
Which is updated more often, Idle Forge or Idle Pickaxe Master?
Idle Forge ships an update every 6 days, and Idle Pickaxe Master fortnightly. Most recently, Idle Forge was updated on November 6, 2026 and Idle Pickaxe Master on November 10, 2026.

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