# Portal vs Wave.io

The clearest difference is rating: Portal at 3.9 against Wave.io's 3.3. Portal also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (monthly vs every 12 months). Wave.io's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4). On price, review sentiment and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Portal sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Wave.io asks for nothing beyond the download.

Portal holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Portal has 50 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of Portal's written reviews are positive against 50% of Wave.io's.

Portal ships an update monthly, Wave.io every 12 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Portal | Wave.io |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.9 (50 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/portal-a-ball/id879630976/reviews)** | [3.3 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/waveio/id1444759057/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **50** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | **54.7% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 12 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 24 MB | 75 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Charles Younger](https://appshunter.io/developer/805767204) | [One Pixel Studio](https://appshunter.io/developer/1314111503) |

## What reviewers say

### Portal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/portal-a-ball/id879630976)

Engage in a physics-based puzzle adventure across numerous test chambers. Each level presents unique objectives to challenge your problem-solving skills in this addictive game.

**Highlights:** Physics-based gameplay, Multiple test chambers, Varied level objectives, Addictive puzzle solving

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tip the Developer - Small Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Tip the Developer - Nice Tip! | $1.99 | one-time |
| Tip the Developer - Generous Tip! | $4.99 | one-time |
| Tip the Developer - Amazing Tip! | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for Portal fans
- 💡 Fun puzzle action
- 🚀 Good for iPhone
- ✨ Simple but good
- 🎮 Challenging physics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 😕 Not fun at all
- 🐛 Glitches on some levels
- 🤔 Choppy graphics
- 📉 Too hard too quickly
- 😵 Repetitive gameplay

**Reported bugs**

- Platform moves with button click
- Seesaw puzzle impossible
- Companion cube moves with platform
- Blue portal not movable
- Game won't open level one

**Requested features**

- Add Portal music
- Animate thrown objects
- Thin the turret
- Update the game
- Allow turning iPhone to control ball


### Wave.io

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/waveio/id1444759057)

Experience a visually stunning and addictive game with simple one-tap controls. Enjoy hours of fun with its unique wave mechanics and captivating effects.

**Highlights:** One-tap easy-to-learn controls, Beautiful visual effects, Addictive gameplay, Hours of fun, Relaxing wave mechanics

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Portal free?

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

### Is Wave.io free?

Wave.io is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Portal or Wave.io?

Portal is rated higher. Portal averages 3.9 out of 5 from 50 ratings, while Wave.io averages 3.3 from 7 ratings.

### Do Portal or Wave.io have ads?

Wave.io shows ads; Portal does not.

### Which is updated more often, Portal or Wave.io?

Portal ships an update monthly, and Wave.io every 12 months. Most recently, Portal was updated on October 23, 2026 and Wave.io on October 24, 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.*