# Animal Jam vs Hacky Bird

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Hacky Bird at none against Animal Jam's 26. Hacky Bird also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs fortnightly). Animal Jam's advantage is chart position (#30 vs unranked) and device support. On price and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Animal Jam sells 26 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Hacky Bird asks for nothing beyond the download.

Animal Jam ships an update fortnightly, Hacky Bird every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Animal Jam | Hacky Bird |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (84K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/animal-jam/id1003820457/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **84K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 73.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | — |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | **#30** | — |
| Size | 140 MB | 18 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | — |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Wildworks, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/562980411) | [Hoa Tran](https://appshunter.io/developer/963498718) |

## What reviewers say

### Animal Jam

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/animal-jam/id1003820457)

**Currently charting:** #30 Top Grossing · Family, #108 Top Free · Family, #130 Top Grossing · Simulation (US App Store)

Become your favorite animal, customize your style, and explore a vibrant 3D world. This online community for kids offers a safe space to chat with friends, decorate dens, play games, adopt pets, and learn about nature through interactive content.

**Highlights:** Personalize animal characters, Play fun games and earn rewards, Explore a 3D virtual world, Shop for clothing and decorations, Design and decorate dens, Join a global player community, Learn about real animals

**In-app purchases (26)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Join a Pack! | $6.99 | per month |
| 1 Month Membership | $8.99 | per month |
| 1 Month Membership | $8.99 | per month |
| Paw Full of Sapphires | $1.99 | one-time |
| Wishing Coin | $2.99 | one-time |
| Galaxy Raccoon Tail | $2.99 | one-time |
| Corrupted Animal Token | $3.99 | one-time |
| Skeleton Fox Bundle | $3.99 | one-time |
| Super Party Super Box | $4.99 | one-time |
| Mystical Wings Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Super Satchel of Sapphires | $4.99 | one-time |
| Night of the Phantoms Bundle | $8.99 | one-time |
| Super Box | $9.99 | one-time |
| BIG Super Party Super Box | $9.99 | one-time |
| Big Fab 5 Super Box | $9.99 | one-time |
| Big Flame Super Box | $9.99 | one-time |
| Big Chest of Sapphires | $9.99 | one-time |
| Wishing Coin x5 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Big Galaxy Super Box Redux | $9.99 | one-time |
| Big Glitter Super Box | $9.99 | one-time |
| Big Super Party SuperBox Redux | $9.99 | one-time |
| Big Super Box | $9.99 | one-time |
| Pet Velociraptor Egg x5 | $14.99 | one-time |
| Huge Wish Refining Coin Bundle | $19.99 | one-time |
| Treasure Trove of Sapphires | $19.99 | one-time |
| Wishing Coin x15 | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎉 Addictive and fun gameplay
- 👍 Child-friendly environment
- 🎨 Customization options for animals and dens
- 🤝 Ability to connect with friends
- 📚 Educational animal facts

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
- 🔒 Restrictive chat system
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
- 🕰️ Difficulty earning in-game currency
- 🔍 Lack of transparency around moderation

**Reported bugs**

- Inconsistent login issues
- Disappearing items and progress loss
- Glitches with certain game mechanics

**Requested features**

- Ability to trade animals and dens
- Conversion between gems and sapphires
- More non-member content and features
- Expanded animal and habitat selection
- Improved reporting and moderation system


### Hacky Bird

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacky-bird/id1067906021)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Animal Jam free?

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

### Is Hacky Bird free?

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

### Which is updated more often, Animal Jam or Hacky Bird?

Animal Jam ships an update fortnightly, and Hacky Bird every 4 days. Most recently, Animal Jam was updated on September 25, 2026 and Hacky Bird on September 7, 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.*