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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Candy Crush Saga vs Candy Crush Soda Saga

Candy Crush Saga 4.7★ · Free + IAP 65
Winner Candy Crush Saga
Candy Crush Soda Saga 4.7★ · Free + IAP 60

Candy Crush Saga and Candy Crush Soda Saga are both popular match-3 games, but Candy Crush Saga has a slight edge due to its more consistent gameplay experience, despite both suffering from significant ad and monetization issues.

Full reviews: Candy Crush Saga · Candy Crush Soda Saga

Both Candy Crush Saga and Candy Crush Soda Saga offer addictive match-3 gameplay, but recent updates have made both games more frustrating with increased difficulty, intrusive ads, and aggressive monetization tactics. While Candy Crush Saga faces criticism for excessive pop-ups and crashes, Candy Crush Soda Saga users report more frequent issues with level design, broken features, and a perceived shift to 'pay-to-play' mechanics.

Head to head

Gameplay & Features edge: Candy Crush SagaR5R8R11R16
Candy Crush Saga Candy Crush Saga is praised for being fun, addictive, and challenging with plenty of levels and satisfying gameplay R5R8R11. Users enjoy the core mechanics and find it a great time consumer . However, recent updates have made levels much harder, with some feeling impossible without purchases R16R22R43. Players also complain about the removal of bonus plays after watching ads and changes to features like the 'Bonus Spin' and 'Candy Royale' .
Candy Crush Soda Saga Candy Crush Soda Saga is also described as fun, addicting, and a favorite game . Users appreciate the vibrant colors and sounds . However, many recent reviews highlight a significant reduction in moves per level, making them nearly impossible to pass without buying boosters R74. Players also report broken levels , missing features like 'second chances' and scores , and issues with specific events like 'Rocket Rush' .
Ease of Use & User Experience tieR1R5R9R12
Candy Crush Saga Candy Crush Saga is generally easy to pick up and play R5. However, the user experience is severely hampered by constant pop-up ads and promotional offers that appear after every level, upon opening the game, or returning to the main screen R5R12R15. Many ads are long, freeze the game, or cannot be closed, forcing users to restart the app R1R9. The game also has too many side games and interruptions, making it a burden to access the next level R12.
Candy Crush Soda Saga Candy Crush Soda Saga also suffers from intrusive ads that freeze or crash, preventing users from claiming rewards . Some users report an overwhelming number of ads, especially after updates R87. There are complaints about constant layout changes and a new requirement for Wi-Fi to load levels, making it unplayable offline . The 'Game Center Overlay' is also a recurring annoyance .
Reliability & Performance tieR1R7R18R28
Candy Crush Saga Candy Crush Saga users frequently report app crashes, especially when winning a level or playing for extended periods R7R28R30R33. Freezing is a common issue, often leading to lost progress or wasted boosts R1R30R33. Some users also note issues with rewards not being received R18R59.
Candy Crush Soda Saga Candy Crush Soda Saga also has significant reliability issues, with users reporting constant freezing and crashes, particularly when watching ads for extra plays . Some users experience the game starting over from level one or getting stuck on a continuous play loop . There are also reports of the app not opening at all due to connection issues .
Price & Value tieR2R3R5R12
Candy Crush Saga Candy Crush Saga is free to play but heavily monetized through in-app purchases (IAP) and ads R2R3R5R56. Many users feel pressured to buy items like boosts or extra moves to pass difficult levels R16R22R43. The constant push for microtransactions and paywalls is a major complaint R3R12.
Candy Crush Soda Saga Candy Crush Soda Saga is also free to play with IAP, but users increasingly feel it has become a 'pay-to-play' game R74. The reduction in moves per level is seen as a deliberate tactic to force purchases of gold bars and boosters . Users express frustration at having to pay to progress, which detracts from the game's enjoyment .
Customer Support tieR18R24R59R73
Candy Crush Saga Reviews for Candy Crush Saga do not explicitly mention customer support interactions, but some users express frustration about not receiving rewards or having lives disappear, implying a lack of resolution R18R24R59.
Candy Crush Soda Saga Candy Crush Soda Saga users report difficulty finding a way to send support tickets for broken levels . Some users claim that problems and scam ads are ignored by the creators R73.
Pick Candy Crush Saga if

Pick Candy Crush Saga if you prefer the original, classic match-3 experience and are willing to tolerate frequent ads and pop-ups for generally satisfying gameplay R5R8R11. It's a good choice if you enjoy a challenging game, even if it sometimes feels like it pushes for purchases .

Pick Candy Crush Soda Saga if

Pick Candy Crush Soda Saga if you enjoy the 'soda' mechanics and vibrant aesthetic, and are looking for a familiar but slightly different match-3 challenge . It might appeal if you're a long-time player hoping for a return to its earlier, more enjoyable state, despite current frustrations .

Evidence note: Both apps are free with in-app purchases, and much of the negativity stems from the free-tier experience, specifically the intrusive ads and perceived 'pay-to-win' mechanics that frustrate non-paying users. The lifetime ratings are very similar, but recent reviews for both show a negative skew due to these issues. The evidence is robust for both apps regarding ads, monetization, and difficulty, but Candy Crush Soda Saga has more specific complaints about broken features and level design.

Frequently asked

Are Candy Crush Saga and Candy Crush Soda Saga free to play?
Yes, both Candy Crush Saga and Candy Crush Soda Saga are free to download and play, but they include in-app purchases and frequent advertisements that many users find intrusive and disruptive to gameplay R3R5R56R87.
Which game has more ads?
Both games are heavily criticized for excessive and intrusive ads, with users of Candy Crush Saga reporting constant pop-ups after levels, upon opening the game, and ads that freeze or cannot be closed R1R5R9R15. Candy Crush Soda Saga also has numerous complaints about ads freezing, crashing, or preventing users from returning to the game or claiming rewards .
Do these games force you to pay to win?
Many users for both Candy Crush Saga and Candy Crush Soda Saga feel that recent updates have made levels so difficult that they are forced to purchase boosters or extra moves to progress, leading to a perception of the games becoming 'pay-to-play' R16R22R43R74.
Are there technical issues like crashing or freezing?
Yes, both games have significant technical issues, with Candy Crush Saga users reporting frequent crashes and freezing, especially when winning a level or after ads R7R28R30R33. Candy Crush Soda Saga also experiences constant freezing and crashes, particularly related to ads and sometimes preventing the game from opening .

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. [R5] Candy Crush Saga 5/5 · US So you mf will stop asking me: Candy Crush is still a fun and addictive puzzle game with plenty of levels and satisfying gameplay. It’s easy to pick up and play for a few minutes or get lost in for much longer. The biggest downside is the constant pop-up ads and promotional offers. It feels like every time you finish a level, open the game, or return to the main screen, you’re hit with another of
  2. [R8] Candy Crush Saga 5/5 · US So good: Such a fun game
  3. [R11] Candy Crush Saga 5/5 · US The only reason I’m going to get the game is that it is so much fun: The game is so much fun i think you should try it 👄🦷👄🦷👄🦷👄🦷🦷🦷👄👄👄👄🧠👁️👩🏿👩🏿👩🏿👩🏿👩🏿👩👩👩👨🏾‍🦱👨‍🦱👨🏼‍🦱
  4. [R16] Candy Crush Saga 1/5 · US Level 18587 BORING AND STUPID: IMPOSSIBLE even with full boosts. I have played it dozens of times and can’t pass. THEY ARE FORCING YOU TO PURCHASE TO PLAY. SAD AND PATHETIC GAME. DONT WASTE YOUR TIME. 👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻
  5. [R1] Candy Crush Saga 1/5 · US Ads: I am ready to cancel this game! Stop the long and stupid ads. I don’t want anything that you are advertising! They freeze up my iPad, and don’t give me my boosts!!!
  6. [R9] Candy Crush Saga 3/5 · US Advertisement: Please, please remove the advertisements that can not be closed off of the screen. I need to constantly get out of the app then get back in. Ridiculous.
  7. [R12] Candy Crush Saga 3/5 · US It’s okay but…: I like playing the game but the gyrations you have to go through between the comments keyed level and the next level is ridiculous. Layer after layer of add-ons, potential purchases, etc make playing the simple game a burden. Sometimes it takes twice as long to access the next level as it does to play it. There are other similar games that don’t force players to do nearly as much.
  8. [R7] Candy Crush Saga 1/5 · US Bad game: Game keeps crashing when winning. Wants more money. Rip off.
  9. [R18] Candy Crush Saga 3/5 · US Pocket fm rewards: Where is my rewards? I have been playing to get rewards for pocket fm and have not received any.
  10. [R28] Candy Crush Saga 1/5 · US Awful: Crashes every time I play on every level and waist my power ups and lives. And yes I’m running on the most current version
  11. [R2] Candy Crush Saga 5/5 · US Sooo good: This is really good but I have a few suggestions. 1. No money 2. Free boosters at whatever level Other that that, this game is perfect
  12. [R3] Candy Crush Saga 3/5 · US El stinky but good.: Very nice character design , good to pass time, but I will always hate the constant push for micro transactions and paywalls- “watch an ad to replay!” Its annoying it’s a shame that candy crush has succumbed to this level too
  13. [R24] Candy Crush Saga 3/5 · US Where are my lives ?: I had hundreds of lives a week ago. They all disappeared and now I have 22 I realize I can only use 20 a day but it was nice to have that reserve. Please give my hard earned lives back
  14. [R59] Candy Crush Saga 5/5 · US Where are my rewards?: Not happy will play only for a short time!
  15. [R73] Candy Crush Soda Saga 1/5 · US Scammers game: This game has lots of scam ads and when you report it or any problems the creators of this game ignore you. Plus many on here are fake accounts
  16. [R56] Candy Crush Saga 5/5 · US Very fun: The game is free and no need ad and cost cheep for get 20 gold bars
  17. [R87] Candy Crush Soda Saga 3/5 · US Forgot all about my game: I forgot all about my game. I was able to start back where I left off years ago. Now there’s way tooooo many ADS in this game. There weren’t any when it first came out now it’s over run with ADS. Not sure if I’ll keep playing this like I was before the ADS. Bummer
  18. [R15] Candy Crush Saga 3/5 · US Fun but so annoying: Every once in a while I will open candy crush and think oh this is fun why did I stop playing? Then I am bombarded with enough pop ups to give me a stroke. Thus I close the ap. This time I’m uninstalling ✌🏻
  19. [R22] Candy Crush Saga 2/5 · US Ya están difíciles: Ya están muy difíciles los mundos y a fuerzas quiere que compre corazones o bosters para pasarlos ya no te dan anuncios para poder agarrar más corazones
  20. [R43] Candy Crush Saga 2/5 · US Fed up!: After years of playing this game it has become seriously un fun lately, I’ve gone through some times before where it has been bad, but this is the worst! Every level takes days or weeks to get through and they have removed the chance for extra moves by watching ads. I guess the goal is to force me to use up my gold bars to win, but I only use them when there is a chance of winning somethi
  21. [R74] Candy Crush Soda Saga 4/5 · US HAD TO DELETE…: Notified these people that level 2995 is not playable since they cut moves in half and spinners don’t give out enough bottles and the ONLY WAY TO BEAT IT IS TO PAY…are they really that hard up for money that they feel the need to do this.??? I wonder…but I won’t be forced to do so!!! Otherwise it’s a good game just greedy I guess…
  22. [R30] Candy Crush Saga 3/5 · US App Freezes, You take a Loss: whenever the app feeezes, I lose the level >:(
  23. [R33] Candy Crush Saga 3/5 · US Freezes: Have been playing a long time. Now on level 10641. It freezes every time I am going to win. The last time I used 10 bars, wasted. Sometimes there is a reward for the freeze but I have not seen that for a few days. Might be time to stop playing.

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