# The Next Arrow vs Dots and Bubbles

The clearest difference is price: Dots and Bubbles at Free against The Next Arrow's $0.99. Dots and Bubbles also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 23 months) and ratings volume (17 vs 1). The Next Arrow's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On rating, review sentiment, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Dots and Bubbles is free to download; The Next Arrow costs $0.99 up front. Dots and Bubbles sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. The Next Arrow asks for nothing beyond the download.

Dots and Bubbles holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dots and Bubbles has 17 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 40% of The Next Arrow's written reviews are positive against 33% of Dots and Bubbles's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

The Next Arrow ships an update every 23 months, Dots and Bubbles fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Next Arrow | Dots and Bubbles |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-next-arrow/id951476189/reviews) | **[4.2 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dots-and-bubbles/id6469455050/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **17** |
| Positive reviews | **40.0% of reviews** | 33.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 23 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 98 MB | 72 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 12.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kevin Choteau](https://appshunter.io/developer/795845791) | [Tim Kretz](https://appshunter.io/developer/1042055305) |

## What reviewers say

### The Next Arrow

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-next-arrow/id951476189)

Engage your mind with a variety of challenging puzzles or test your endurance in an endless mode. Develop strategic thinking to achieve the highest score and climb the leaderboards.

**Highlights:** 36 insane challenges, Endless mode for high scores, Strategic planning gameplay, Brain-training puzzles, Leaderboard ranking

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Dots and Bubbles

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dots-and-bubbles/id6469455050)

Guide a bouncing ball through challenging levels by activating and deactivating special dots. Discover unique physics with elements like Black Holes and Direction Boosters. Solve over 90 intriguing puzzles with clever combinations.

**Highlights:** Ball bounce control, Special dot mechanics, Over 90 levels, Increasing difficulty, Ingenuity-based puzzles

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Next Arrow free?

The Next Arrow costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Dots and Bubbles free?

Dots and Bubbles is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, The Next Arrow or Dots and Bubbles?

Dots and Bubbles is rated higher. The Next Arrow averages 4.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Dots and Bubbles averages 4.2 from 17 ratings.

### Do The Next Arrow or Dots and Bubbles have ads?

Dots and Bubbles shows ads; The Next Arrow does not.

### Which is updated more often, The Next Arrow or Dots and Bubbles?

The Next Arrow ships an update every 23 months, and Dots and Bubbles fortnightly. Most recently, The Next Arrow was updated on November 1, 2026 and Dots and Bubbles on November 3, 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.*