# Kernel King vs Towing Up!

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Towing Up! at none against Kernel King's 10. Kernel King's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 6 days vs every 24 months). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Kernel King sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Towing Up! asks for nothing beyond the download.

Kernel King ships an update every 6 days, Towing Up! every 24 months. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Kernel King | Towing Up! |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (41 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kernel-king/id1072806976/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **41** | — |
| Positive reviews | 89.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 days** | Every 24 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 46 MB | 84 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Blake Eckert](https://appshunter.io/developer/1031112881) | [omer cetin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1584332419) |

## What reviewers say

### Kernel King

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kernel-king/id1072806976)

Tap to create an endless stream of popcorn in this addictive idle game. Invest in upgrades to pop faster, earn more, and unlock new poppers. Compete with friends and aim to become the ultimate Kernel King.

**Highlights:** Tap to make popcorn, Investments for faster popping, Upgrade popper and recipe, Offline kernel earnings, Unlockable poppers, Prestige system, Bonuses and multipliers

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Double Kernels Per Second | $0.99 | one-time |
| Double Kernels | $0.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $0.99 | one-time |
| Kernel Blast | $1.99 | one-time |
| Shaker of Salt | $1.99 | one-time |
| Treadmill | $1.99 | one-time |
| King Kernel | $4.99 | one-time |
| Salt Mine | $9.99 | one-time |
| Kernel Bomb | $19.99 | one-time |
| Forever 20x | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 😊 Highly addictive and engaging gameplay
- 👍 Simple and easy to play mechanics
- 🎮 Fun way to pass time and avoid boredom
- 💰 Can customize without spending real money
- 🎯 Great for all ages including children

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📺 Excessive ads appearing frequently
- 💸 Expensive upgrades and progression
- 🐛 Game crashes and kicks to home screen
- ⏱️ Slow progression and kernel earning
- 🔄 Data loss after crashes

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes and forces user to home screen
- Data loss when game crashes
- Game won't start without reviewing or advertising
- Glitches causing loss of progress

**Requested features**

- Timer mode to track kernels earned
- Upgrade levels with multipliers for easier progression
- Better tutorial or onboarding instructions
- More diverse upgrades and features


### Towing Up!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/towing-up/id1631160272)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Kernel King free?

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

### Is Towing Up! free?

Towing Up! is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Kernel King or Towing Up! have ads?

Towing Up! shows ads; Kernel King does not.

### Which is updated more often, Kernel King or Towing Up!?

Kernel King ships an update every 6 days, and Towing Up! every 24 months. Most recently, Kernel King was updated on October 8, 2026 and Towing Up! on September 30, 2026.

---

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