# Alchemists vs Potion Explosion

The clearest difference is price: Alchemists at Free against Potion Explosion's $3.99. Alchemists also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and review sentiment (58% vs 40%). Potion Explosion's advantage is update cadence (every 11 days vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (281 vs 23). On rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Alchemists is free to download; Potion Explosion costs $3.99 up front. Potion Explosion sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Alchemists asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.2 for Alchemists against 4.1 for Potion Explosion. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Potion Explosion has 281 ratings behind it against 23, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 58% of Alchemists's written reviews are positive against 40% of Potion Explosion's.

Alchemists ships an update every 3 months, Potion Explosion every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Alchemists | Potion Explosion |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $3.99 |
| Rating | **[4.2 (23 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alchemists-lab-equipment/id921595239/reviews)** | [4.1 (281 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/potion-explosion/id1162628471/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 23 | **281** |
| Positive reviews | **57.9% of reviews** | 40.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 11 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 34 MB | 192 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [CGE Digital s.r.o.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1706267473) | [Horrible Guild](https://appshunter.io/developer/1460296043) |

## What reviewers say

### Alchemists

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alchemists-lab-equipment/id921595239)

This app acts as a digital companion for a board game, allowing players to scan ingredient cards to discover potion recipes. It also serves as a learning tool for those interested in the game's mechanics, enabling them to practice potion mixing and test their deductive skills without the physical board game.

**Highlights:** Scan ingredient cards, Discover potion recipes, Learn game rules, Practice potion mixing, Test ingredient combinations, View game answers

**In-app purchases:** none


### Potion Explosion

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/potion-explosion/id1162628471)

This is a digital adaptation of an award-winning puzzle board game where players collect magical ingredients to brew powerful potions. Engage in tactical gameplay, trigger chain reactions, and compete against AI or players worldwide to score the most points.

**Highlights:** Official adaptation of award-winning board game, Solo mode against AI, Online multiplayer with worldwide leaderboard, Tactical gameplay with strategic depth, The Fifth Ingredient expansion available, Magical universe with enhanced digital elements

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The Fifth Ingredient | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Beautiful graphics and animations
- 🧠 Engaging and strategic gameplay
- 🕹️ Smooth offline experience
- 💰 Good value for the price

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔌 Drains battery quickly
- 🕰️ Online games prone to freezing and synchronization issues
- 🤖 AI opponents too difficult or too easy

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to complete online games
- Incorrect scoring and game state displayed
- Potions and ingredients not functioning as expected

**Requested features**

- Notification system for online games
- Ability to undo moves
- Random selection of professors
- More challenging AI opponents


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Alchemists free?

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

### Is Potion Explosion free?

Potion Explosion costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Alchemists or Potion Explosion?

Alchemists is rated higher. Alchemists averages 4.2 out of 5 from 23 ratings, while Potion Explosion averages 4.1 from 281 ratings.

### Do Alchemists or Potion Explosion have ads?

Neither Alchemists nor Potion Explosion shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Alchemists or Potion Explosion?

Alchemists ships an update every 3 months, and Potion Explosion every 11 days. Most recently, Alchemists was updated on October 20, 2026 and Potion Explosion on October 23, 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.*