# Sim Aquarium vs Rice Fish

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Rice Fish at none against Sim Aquarium's 10. Rice Fish also leads on rating (4.4 vs 4.1) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). Sim Aquarium's advantage is update cadence (every 11 days vs every 4 months) and review sentiment (79% vs 67%). On price, ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sim Aquarium sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Rice Fish asks for nothing beyond the download.

Rice Fish holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 17 and 14 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 79% of Sim Aquarium's written reviews are positive against 67% of Rice Fish's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Sim Aquarium ships an update every 11 days, Rice Fish every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sim Aquarium | Rice Fish |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sim-aquarium-3d-fish-tank/id1050519228/reviews) | **[4.4 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rice-fish/id1069343386/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **17** | 14 |
| Positive reviews | **78.9% of reviews** | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 11 days** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 299 MB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [达 雷](https://appshunter.io/developer/599274737) | [KENSHI DOI](https://appshunter.io/developer/709264908) |

## What reviewers say

### Sim Aquarium

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sim-aquarium-3d-fish-tank/id1050519228)

Design and manage your own 3D aquarium. Collect, feed, and breed fish, then decorate your underwater world with various items. Complete daily goals and play mini-games for rewards.

**Highlights:** Collect and breed fish, Decorate 3D aquariums, Feed and grow fish, Complete daily goals, Play mini-games, Visit friends' aquariums

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pile of Gems | $1.99 | one-time |
| Mound of Gems | $4.99 | one-time |
| Aquarium Special Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Bag of Gems | $9.99 | one-time |
| Rare Crab Breeding Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Sack of Gems | $19.99 | one-time |
| Super Aquarium Pack | $19.99 | one-time |
| Basket of Gems | $29.99 | one-time |
| Box of Gems | $49.99 | one-time |
| Chest of Gems | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Beautiful graphics and animation
- 😌 Relaxing and calming gameplay
- 🐠 Realistic and cute fish
- 💡 Interesting concept and gameplay
- 🏠 Customizable aquariums

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💥 Frequent crashes
- 💸 Expensive in-app purchases
- ⏳ Slow progression and hard goals
- 🚫 Ads are irritating
- ❓ Glitches and bugs

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes frequently
- Game refuses to open or load
- Purchased items not received
- Game frozen
- Missing gems/rewards

**Requested features**

- More levels
- More fish breeds and decorations
- More challenges
- Option to remove ads
- Ability to email/message developers


### Rice Fish

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rice-fish/id1069343386)

A virtual aquarium simulation where you care for Japanese rice fishes and aquatic plants. Interact with your fish, clean the tank, and watch your aquarium grow. Save your progress via iCloud and explore a 3D view with a companion app.

**Highlights:** Virtual aquarium simulation, Feed and clean fish, Interactive characters, Aquarium customization, iCloud data saving, 3D VR view companion app

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sim Aquarium free?

Sim Aquarium is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Rice Fish free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Sim Aquarium or Rice Fish?

Rice Fish is rated higher. Sim Aquarium averages 4.1 out of 5 from 17 ratings, while Rice Fish averages 4.4 from 14 ratings.

### Do Sim Aquarium or Rice Fish have ads?

Both Sim Aquarium and Rice Fish show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sim Aquarium or Rice Fish?

Sim Aquarium ships an update every 11 days, and Rice Fish every 4 months. Most recently, Sim Aquarium was updated on November 11, 2026 and Rice Fish on November 2, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*