Comparison

Palmo vs Refract

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

Head to head
About

Palmo

Features
Read full description

Palmo is a puzzle about regions. The board holds numbered squares; each one starts a patch, and its number is how many cells that patch takes: a 4 takes four cells, a 9 takes nine. Close the whole board and the level is done. ONE RULE Touch a numbered square, then take neighboring cells one at a time. The counter on the square drops with every cell. At zero the patch settles and seals itself. There is no fifth cell for a 4; the board will not let you take it. Cells are neighbors edge to edge, never corner to corner. THREE EXTRA STROKES A settled region can be unpicked: hold your finger on it until it comes apart, then draw it again. Each unpicking burns one of your three extra strokes. Whatever is left when the board closes turns into stars, so three stars mean every region was right the first time. WALLS AND STONES A wall cuts between two cells and no region crosses it. A stone is never taken: it stays outside the weave and the cells around it have to manage without it. The board teaches both by itself, in the level where they start to matter. ONE SOLUTION Every board in Palmo has exactly one correct weave. A solver went through all 516 levels and found no second answer. That is the point: a board with two answers says think and means guess. NO WORDS ON THE BOARD The playing screen carries no text. The lesson is in how the board is built: a new idea arrives in the level that will not come out without it. If you stop, Palmo points at a cell instead of explaining it, and the pointer comes from the solver, not from a hunch. FEATURES - 516 levels across 32 chapters - One solution per board, counted with a solver - Plays offline, no account, no sign-in - Six languages: English, Turkish, German, Spanish, French, Portuguese - Ads between levels; a one-time purchase removes them Same family as Fillomino and Shikaku: the number tells you how big the region has to be. Level 1 is a three by three board with a single 9. The whole rule is in there.

About

Refract

Test your reflexes in this fast-paced arcade game by matching colors to gates. As the speed increases, the track splits, requiring quick thinking and precise timing to keep your run going. Unlock achievements and compete on global leaderboards.

Highlights
  • Color matching gameplay
  • Increasing pace and difficulty
  • Split-lane gates
  • Unlockable achievements
  • Global leaderboards
  • Offline play
Features
Read full description

Refract is a fast, focused arcade reflex game about matching colors. Tap through six colors and match each gate before it reaches you. Every match adds to your run. One mistake ends it. As the pace climbs, trapezium gates split the track into two lanes. Read the colors, shift left or right, and keep your timing sharp. The rules are simple. The speed is not. - Match red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet gates - Tap anywhere to cycle your color; swipe or use the arrows to change lanes - Pace rises past 180 gates, with split-lane gates from 60 - Unlock 8 badges, from First Refraction to Prism Elite - Submit your score to the shared daily and all-time leaderboard - Practice in the tutorial without touching your best score - Play offline, with sound you can mute any time - Free to play, no account needed How far can you refract?

Screenshots

Palmo4 screens
Refract4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Refract at none against Palmo's 1. Refract also leads on ads (none vs shown). Palmo's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs fortnightly). On price, 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. Palmo sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Refract asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Palmo ships an update every 2 days, Refract fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Palmo versus Refract: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPalmoRefract
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterFortnightly
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size78 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperUFUK CELIKELOGLUSurbhi Agrawal

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Palmo

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$4.99
None

Refract

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Palmo free?
Palmo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Refract free?
Refract is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Palmo or Refract have ads?
Palmo shows ads; Refract does not.
Which is updated more often, Palmo or Refract?
Palmo ships an update every 2 days, and Refract fortnightly. Most recently, Palmo was updated on October 31, 2026 and Refract on October 26, 2026.

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