# Symbol Link vs The Chinese Five Elements

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: The Chinese Five Elements at none against Symbol Link's 7. The Chinese Five Elements also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Symbol Link's advantage is update cadence (every 4 months vs every 18 months). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Symbol Link sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. The Chinese Five Elements asks for nothing beyond the download.

Symbol Link ships an update every 4 months, The Chinese Five Elements every 18 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Symbol Link | The Chinese Five Elements |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (63 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/symbol-link-game-challenges/id818245884/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **63** | — |
| Positive reviews | 65.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 months** | Every 18 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 61 MB | 56 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ANDREY NOVIKOV](https://appshunter.io/developer/418898717) | [Leung Man Ho Thomas](https://appshunter.io/developer/619609289) |

## What reviewers say

### Symbol Link

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/symbol-link-game-challenges/id818245884)

This puzzle game challenges you to connect matching symbols with a single path. It features a vast number of puzzles and challenges, with unique mechanics like autolinks and an advanced scoring system. Designed by the creator of Tetris, it offers stylish visuals and audio.

**Highlights:** 1650 puzzles, 300 challenges, 3 puzzle packs by Tetris author, Autolinks feature, Advanced score system, Hints and guides

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pack of 12 Hints | $1.99 | one-time |
| Alexey's Pack II | $1.99 | one-time |
| Alexey's Pack III | $1.99 | one-time |
| Puzzle Pack IV | $1.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |
| Puzzle Pack V | $1.99 | one-time |
| Puzzle Pack VI | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🧩 Innovative puzzle mechanics with auto-complete feature
- 🎨 Beautiful minimalist design and UI
- 🎵 Soothing music and sound design
- 😌 Relaxing and engaging gameplay
- 🧠 Challenging and thought-provoking puzzles

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📺 Excessive and intrusive full-screen ads
- 💰 Ads appear after nearly every level
- 🎯 Ads positioned over continue/restart buttons causing accidental clicks
- ❌ Ad removal purchase doesn't work properly
- 📖 Unclear game instructions and mechanics

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes on tutorial/how-to screen with unresponsive controls
- Settings menu freezes on iPhone 5
- App force quits unexpectedly
- Occasional line freezing during gameplay
- Accidental App Store redirects from ad clicks

**Requested features**

- Add more free puzzle packs
- Implement ad-free version with reasonable pricing
- Provide clearer in-game tutorials and instructions
- Add difficulty ratings for puzzle packs before purchase
- Include confirmation dialog before using hints


### The Chinese Five Elements

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-chinese-five-elements/id895781672)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Symbol Link free?

Symbol Link is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is The Chinese Five Elements free?

The Chinese Five Elements is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Symbol Link or The Chinese Five Elements have ads?

Symbol Link shows ads; The Chinese Five Elements does not.

### Which is updated more often, Symbol Link or The Chinese Five Elements?

Symbol Link ships an update every 4 months, and The Chinese Five Elements every 18 months. Most recently, Symbol Link was updated on October 23, 2026 and The Chinese Five Elements on October 9, 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.*