Comparison

Viridi vs DESERTOPIA

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Viridi

Cultivate a virtual succulent garden that grows in real-time. This app offers a peaceful escape, allowing you to name, care for, and even encourage your plants to flower. It's a forgiving simulation that teaches mindful moments through plant nurturing.

Highlights
  • Real-time succulent growth
  • Plant watering and care simulation
  • Name and customize plants
  • Plants can flower
  • In-game nursery for new plants
  • Weekly free seeding
Features
Read full description

Nurture a small pot of succulents that grow in real time. Viridi is a safe haven, a place you can return to for a moment of peace and quiet whenever, and wherever you need it. While not fully realistic (they're very forgiving), your succulents will require some maintenance and can die from over- or under-watering. Name your favorite plants, give them special care and attention, and they might even flower for you. Viridi is free to try and comes with your choice of plant assortment. If you think it has a place in your life, you can buy your favorite plants from the in-game nursery for just a few cents a piece. Remember to visit the nursery occasionally for your weekly free seeding! -- "Designed to be the ideal happy place game ... Viridi is a primer, a simulation, and a love letter to this branch of botany, all rolled into one" - Fast Company "Yes, you do need an ultra-zen video game about growing succulents ... tending to these digital plants offers a seriously calming experience" - The Huffington Post "The most chilled out and peaceful game I've ever seen" - Upworthy "In addition to learning about real-life varieties of succulents, what you are learning when you play games of this type is how to create a quiet, mindful moment in your day using unusual tools" - National Geographic

About

DESERTOPIA

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
Read full description

///// Achievements ///// ・2018 Tokyo Game Show | Official Selection ・2018 Kyoto BitSummit Vol.6 | Official Selection ・2018 Kyoto BitSummit Vol.6 | Indie Megabooth Selection ・2017 IMGA Global | Nominee ・2017 IMGA SEA | Nominee ・App Store Earth Day 2018, 2019, 2020 | Featured “A simple game with a deep meaning.” — INSIDE “Experience the role humans play in the ecosystem, and understand that we cannot take whatever we want from Mother Nature without repercussion. Learn how to cherish valuable resources.” — App Store Feature ///// Introduction ///// Desertopia is a relaxing and therapeutic idle simulator where you can spend just 5–10 minutes a day transforming a barren desert island into a vibrant, thriving habitat — all at your own pace. Your goal is to care for the island and help restore its wildlife. Occasionally, you’ll need to pick up floating trash to keep the environment clean. You’ll also make decisions about events triggered by human activity. Will you allow a tour group to visit the island? Should you build a resort? Every choice you make will directly influence how the island develops. ///// Features ///// ・Storybook-style art: Simply watching the animals roam the island can feel therapeutic on its own. ・100+ animals: Desertopia features over 100 unique creatures and 25+ terrain types. More than 15 legendary species may appear under special conditions — some only during festivals and holidays! ・Weather and water evaporation: Water evaporation is a unique gameplay mechanic. You’ll need to summon rain regularly to maintain livable conditions for your wildlife. If neglected, the island will gradually revert to a barren desert. ・Multi-layered music: Enjoy rich, evolving background music that shifts depending on the area and the animals inhabiting it. ・Events: Cruise ships bring visitors and special events to the island, each with both benefits and drawbacks. How your island evolves is entirely up to you. //////////////////// This game contains in-game offers to purchase digital goods or premium items with real-world currency (or with virtual coins and other in-game currencies purchasable using real-world money), where players do not know in advance which specific items they will receive (e.g., loot boxes, item packs, or mystery rewards). Terms of Use: https://gamtropy.com/term-of-use-en/ Privacy Policy: https://gamtropy.com/privacy-policy-en/ © 2017 Gamtropy Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.

Screenshots

Viridi4 screens
DESERTOPIA4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Viridi at none against DESERTOPIA's shown. Viridi also leads on review sentiment (70% vs 45%) and ratings volume (1K vs 287). DESERTOPIA's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Viridi sells 12 one-off in-app purchases and DESERTOPIA sells 15 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Viridi against 4.5 for DESERTOPIA. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1K and 287 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 70% of Viridi's written reviews are positive against 45% of DESERTOPIA's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Viridi ships an update every 4 months, DESERTOPIA every 2 months. Both last shipped on September 25, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Viridi versus DESERTOPIA: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterViridiDESERTOPIA
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (1K ratings)4.5 (287 ratings) — better
Positive reviews70.0% of reviews — better45.3% of reviews
Number of ratings1K — better287
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size120 MB218 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperBadru LLCGamtropy Co., Ltd.

Customer experience

Viridi

All ratings1,040 ratings
Positive85.5%
Neutral6.0%
Negative8.6%
Written reviews400 reviews
Positive70.0%
Neutral12.0%
Negative18.0%

DESERTOPIA

All ratings287 ratings
Positive88.2%
Neutral5.2%
Negative6.6%
Written reviews170 reviews
Positive45.3%
Neutral17.6%
Negative37.1%

User reviews

Viridi

From 1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🌱 Relaxing and calming experience
  • 🌿 Beautiful graphics and music
  • 🐌 Cute snail companion
  • 📆 Plants grow in real-time
  • 🎶 Soothing background music

Room to improve

  • 🔀 Buggy navigation and controls
  • 💰 Limited free content, requires purchases
  • 🌱 Plants sometimes regress in growth
  • 🔍 Lack of clear instructions

DESERTOPIA

From 287 App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Bugs and requests

Viridi

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes when watering certain plants
  • Plants randomly reset to earlier growth stages
  • Purchased items not properly saved or restored

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add more free plants and pots
  • Implement weather-based watering needs
  • Allow multiple pots to be grown simultaneously
  • Add more interactive elements (e.g. bugs, diseases)

DESERTOPIA

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

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

In-app purchases

12 purchases

Viridi

One-time12
  • Aeonium (5)$0.99
  • Agave macroacantha (3)$0.99
  • Haworthia attenuata (10)$0.99
Show 9 more
  • Lithops optica 'Rubra' (10)$0.99
  • Pachyphytum hookeri (10)$0.99
  • Pachyphytum oviferum (5)$0.99
  • Sedum morganianum (2)$0.99
  • Senecio rowleyanus (2)$0.99
  • Senecio serpens (5)$0.99
  • Random seedlings (9)$0.99
  • Fish Skellie to the Cat House$2.99
  • Key to the Apartment$4.99
15 purchases

DESERTOPIA

Subscriptions1
  • Ad-Free Pass (30 Days)$19.991 Month
One-time14
  • Gem Pack I$0.99
  • Ad Ticket Pack 1$1.99
  • Gem Pack II$4.99
Show 11 more
  • NewbiePack$4.99
  • Coral reef$4.99
  • Ad Ticket Pack 2$4.99
  • DNAPack001$4.99
  • Gem Pack III$9.99
  • Unlock Ancient Island$9.99
  • Cat Pack 1$9.99
  • (Limited) New Year Pass$9.99
  • (Limited) New Year Pack 3$9.99
  • Gem Pack IV$19.99
  • (Limited) New Year Pack 4$29.99

Questions

Is Viridi free?
Viridi 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, Viridi or DESERTOPIA?
DESERTOPIA is rated higher. Viridi averages 4.5 out of 5 from 1K ratings, while DESERTOPIA averages 4.5 from 287 ratings.
Do Viridi or DESERTOPIA have ads?
DESERTOPIA shows ads; Viridi does not.
Which is updated more often, Viridi or DESERTOPIA?
Viridi ships an update every 4 months, and DESERTOPIA every 2 months. Most recently, Viridi was updated on September 25, 2026 and DESERTOPIA on September 25, 2026.

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