# Tap Tap Fish vs DESERTOPIA

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Tap Tap Fish at 24K against DESERTOPIA's 287. Tap Tap Fish also leads on update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Tap Tap Fish sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days and DESERTOPIA sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Tap Tap Fish against 4.5 for DESERTOPIA. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Tap Tap Fish has 24K ratings behind it against 287, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 53% of Tap Tap Fish's written reviews are positive against 46% of DESERTOPIA's.

Tap Tap Fish ships an update every 4 weeks, DESERTOPIA every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Tap Tap Fish | DESERTOPIA |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (24K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tap-tap-fish-abyssrium/id1068366937/reviews) | **[4.5 (287 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/desertopia/id1265572046/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **24K** | 287 |
| Positive reviews | **53.4% of reviews** | 45.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 1.6 GB | 218 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [SangHeon Kim](https://appshunter.io/developer/896208121) | [Gamtropy Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1265572045) |

## What reviewers say

### Tap Tap Fish

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tap-tap-fish-abyssrium/id1068366937)

This idle game offers a stress-free experience where you can cultivate a peaceful aquarium filled with adorable fish. Relax and watch your underwater world grow by tapping to progress and invite new aquatic friends.

**Highlights:** Idle gameplay, Stress-relief, Aquarium customization, Collect diverse fish, Calming music and visuals, Tap-to-progress mechanics

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Subscription (1 week) | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| 100 Gems | $0.99 | one-time |
| Super Sale Package | $0.99 | one-time |
| Auto Harvest | $0.99 | one-time |
| 550 Gems | $4.99 | one-time |
| 400 Pearls | $4.99 | one-time |
| Beginner Package | $4.99 | one-time |
| 200 Pearls | $4.99 | one-time |
| Junior Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Daily Pearl Pack | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌊 Calming, relaxing atmosphere
- 🐠 Beautiful, creative fish designs
- 🎨 Aesthetically pleasing visuals
- 🎶 Soothing background music

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Excessive in-app purchases and ads
- 🕰️ Slow progression and tedious grinding
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Confusing, cluttered UI

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when accessing certain menus
- Notifications and icons not working properly
- Inconsistent ad performance and rewards
- Saved data not loading correctly

**Requested features**

- Ability to name and customize individual fish
- More fish variety and less repetition
- Improved event system with better rewards
- Offline progress and reduced ad dependency


### DESERTOPIA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/desertopia/id1265572046)

Transform a barren desert island into a thriving habitat at your own pace. Care for the island, restore wildlife, and make choices that influence its development. Enjoy a therapeutic idle simulator with beautiful art and evolving music.

**Highlights:** Storybook-style art, 100+ animals and 25+ terrain types, Weather and water evaporation mechanics, Multi-layered, evolving music, Interactive events influencing island development, Collect trash to clean the environment

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Gem Pack I | $0.99 | one-time |
| Ad Ticket Pack 1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Gem Pack II | $4.99 | one-time |
| NewbiePack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Coral reef | $4.99 | one-time |
| Ad Ticket Pack 2 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Gem Pack III | $9.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Ancient Island | $9.99 | one-time |
| Cat Pack 1 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Gem Pack IV | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌳 Beautiful art style and relaxing atmosphere
- 🌱 Environmentally-conscious themes
- 👍 No ads or in-app purchases required to progress

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🕰️ Slow progression and long wait times
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes preventing gameplay
- 🤔 Unclear game mechanics and lack of instructions

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to exit tutorial or instructions screen
- Disappearing wetlands and other lost progress
- Compatibility issues on certain devices

**Requested features**

- More in-depth tutorial and gameplay explanations
- Ability to reset or restart progress
- Faster ways to earn resources and unlock new areas


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Tap Tap Fish free?

Tap Tap Fish is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is DESERTOPIA free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Tap Tap Fish or DESERTOPIA?

DESERTOPIA is rated higher. Tap Tap Fish averages 4.5 out of 5 from 24K ratings, while DESERTOPIA averages 4.5 from 287 ratings.

### Do Tap Tap Fish or DESERTOPIA have ads?

Both Tap Tap Fish and DESERTOPIA show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Tap Tap Fish or DESERTOPIA?

Tap Tap Fish ships an update every 4 weeks, and DESERTOPIA every 2 months. Most recently, Tap Tap Fish was updated on November 8, 2026 and DESERTOPIA on November 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.*