Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Merge Studio vs Project Makeover

Merge Studio 4.7★ · Free + IAP 45
Winner Project Makeover
Project Makeover 4.5★ · Free + IAP 65

Project Makeover is the better choice for a more consistent and less ad-heavy experience, despite its own challenges with difficulty and in-game purchases.

Full reviews: Merge Studio · Project Makeover

Merge Studio suffers from an overwhelming number of ads and a lack of new content, leading to user frustration and game crashes. Project Makeover, while having issues with pop-ups and increasing difficulty, offers a more stable experience with fewer intrusive ads and a larger player base.

Head to head

Features & Content edge: Project MakeoverR1R2R5R20
Merge Studio Merge Studio players enjoy the core gameplay but are frequently frustrated by a lack of new characters and levels, with many reporting they have 'beaten the game' and have nowhere to use accumulated coins R1R2R20R22. Some also desire better and more varied mini-games R5.
Project Makeover Project Makeover offers a variety of puzzles and makeovers, keeping players engaged for years . However, some users find the makeovers repetitive, especially regarding fashion choices , and dislike the increasing number of side quests and card packs that clutter the experience .
Ease of Use & User Experience edge: Merge StudioR3R4R6R7
Merge Studio Merge Studio is plagued by an excessive number of unprompted pop-up ads that interrupt gameplay, making it difficult to enjoy R3R4R6R7. Users also report slow response times and general sluggishness , and some dislike recent UI changes .
Project Makeover Project Makeover users complain about a barrage of pop-ups for events, boosts, and purchases upon opening the game, which feels like a chore to close before playing . Some levels are described as near-impossible without power-ups or in-app purchases R70R72.
Reliability & Performance tieR12R21R26R31
Merge Studio Merge Studio has significant reliability issues, with many users reporting frequent app crashes R12R21R26R31. Some users experience glitches, freezing, or the game not working on Wi-Fi or after updates .
Project Makeover Project Makeover also faces performance issues, with reports of the game not loading , crashing after updates , or updates not taking . One user even reported a virus detection after downloading the app .
Price & Value tieR7R28R34R57
Merge Studio Merge Studio is free with in-app purchases, but the extreme number of forced ads pushes users to consider paying to remove them, which many find 'ridiculous' R7R28R34. Some feel the game is hard to play without paying for extras due to item scarcity R57.
Project Makeover Project Makeover is free with in-app purchases, but many users feel it has become a 'pay to play' game, especially at higher levels where it's difficult to progress without spending money on power-ups or extra moves R70R72. The cost of in-game items also increases significantly at higher levels .
Support & Updates tieR1R2R15R20
Merge Studio Merge Studio users are frustrated by a lack of updates, with new characters and levels being 'coming soon' for months R1R2R20R22. There are also reports of no response from customer support R15.
Project Makeover Project Makeover players also experience issues with updates not downloading or taking effect . While some players enjoy new seasons , others feel the developers are making changes that alienate loyal users by increasing the need for purchases .
Pick Merge Studio if

Pick Merge Studio if you are looking for a casual merge game and are willing to tolerate a high volume of ads, or if you plan to pay to remove them, and don't mind potentially running out of new content .

Pick Project Makeover if

Pick Project Makeover if you enjoy match-3 puzzles combined with makeover elements and prefer a game with fewer intrusive ads during gameplay, even if it means navigating numerous pop-ups at startup and facing challenging levels that encourage in-app purchases .

Evidence note: Both apps are free with in-app purchases. The negative sentiment around ads in Merge Studio is significantly higher and more direct, indicating a free-tier friction that is more pronounced than in Project Makeover. Project Makeover's negative reviews often focus on difficulty and the push for purchases, which is common in free-to-play games, but fewer mention ads interrupting core gameplay.

Frequently asked

Which app has more ads?
Merge Studio has significantly more ads, with users frequently reporting ads popping up every few minutes or even in the middle of gameplay, making it difficult to play R3R4R6R7. Project Makeover users complain more about pop-ups at the start of the game rather than ads interrupting gameplay .
Do these games have enough new content?
Merge Studio users are frustrated by a severe lack of new content, with many reporting they have completed all available levels and characters and have been waiting months for updates R1R2R20R22. Project Makeover players, while sometimes finding the makeovers repetitive, generally have a continuous stream of new levels and events, though some find the increasing number of side quests overwhelming .
Are the games difficult without paying?
Both games can be challenging without spending money, but Project Makeover receives more complaints about levels becoming 'impossible' at higher stages without using power-ups or making in-app purchases R70R72. Merge Studio users mention running out of energy and items, making it hard to progress without paying for extras R18R57.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R1] Merge Studio 2/5 · US Beat the Game: I loved this game, so I wish I could give it more stars. But, I have beaten the game!! There are no longer any characters to makeover, and it has been this way for a few months. I now have 300,000+ coins with nowhere to use them, because I have been hoping for more characters so I have kept playing. Please update this and add characters ASAP!!!!
  2. [R2] Merge Studio 5/5 · US New clients: Waiting on new clients? It’s been saying update coming soon for several months now
  3. [R5] Merge Studio 4/5 · US Needs better mini games: Needs better mini games. I’m tired of the magic hat/rabbit, the piñata, and the crafting. I love the mini match game - give us more of those
  4. [R20] Merge Studio 4/5 · US New characters?: Love the game and the updates that make it easier to get more energy. But where are the new characters? Been waiting for a new one for months. It just keeps saying “coming soon” otherwise I have no complaints!
  5. [R3] Merge Studio 3/5 · US Ads: Hate the ads
  6. [R4] Merge Studio 2/5 · US Too many ads: You barely play the game when as ad pops up. Very annoying!!!!
  7. [R6] Merge Studio 3/5 · US Too many ads: The game itself us fun, but every 2 mins there is an ad , takes away the fun
  8. [R7] Merge Studio 2/5 · US Could be good: The amount of ads is infuriating I would play more but I can’t stand it. I know I could pay to remove but that’s ridiculous too
  9. [R12] Merge Studio 3/5 · US Crashing: I have been playing this game for months but the last 2 weeks it has crashed soon after I open it. What the heck?
  10. [R21] Merge Studio 3/5 · US Crashes a lot: I love the game but it crashes a lot or constantly glitches… everyday I open the app it closes at least 5 times before I can actually play
  11. [R26] Merge Studio 4/5 · US crash: fun game but the app is constantly crashing
  12. [R31] Merge Studio 1/5 · US Booooo: I have tried installing this game three different times now this game is so glitchy. It would be fun, but it’s too glitchy.
  13. [R28] Merge Studio 1/5 · US Could have been a fun game….: I understand the need for ads, and I can tolerate them, but NOT popping up right in the middle of gameplay.!! That is an instant one star for me. It will not entice me to purchase your “no ads” pack, but rather to just delete the app instead. Goodbye…
  14. [R34] Merge Studio 1/5 · US Not worth it: Way too many ads. I have apps that I make in game purchases from often that never have a single ad. Fashion Makeover piles on ad after ad. The play style is cluttered and basic. Deleted after a day.
  15. [R57] Merge Studio 3/5 · US Hard to play unless paying for extras: Love the game but the game has now become a game where you cannot do anything for days at a time because the items you need are so few and far between and you cannot make anything. It is becoming more and more frustrating.
  16. [R15] Merge Studio 3/5 · US ADDS: Pls read this is an amazing game it’s just all the adds that really ruin it and I guess the developers won’t do anything about because there responding but not fixing the issue.
  17. [R22] Merge Studio 2/5 · US No more updates: There’s no more updates and no new levels. You can keep playing and collect coins but you can’t use the coins for anything. Just a droll merge game now
  18. [R18] Merge Studio 3/5 · US Ok but a few touches needed: This game is a lot of fun but I am always running out of energy and I try to watch the adds and it dose not work it always says not ready and it takes forever to recharge your energy
  19. [R70] Project Makeover 2/5 · US Good game..but: Some levels are just ridiculous to try and beat. It takes days to beat if you don’t have enough coins Update I’m about to get rid of this game. Level 8184 is impossible to beat. It’s ridiculous
  20. [R72] Project Makeover 3/5 · US Good but too greedy: This game is very entertaining but when you get to higher levels it gets more complicated obviously but there is no ability to watch ads in exchange for having additional moves, which is annoying, you have to pay if you don’t want to wait and have any luck to pass the levels so I think bringing the ads back would be amazing

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store