# Viridi vs DESERTOPIA

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.

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.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Viridi | DESERTOPIA |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/viridi/id1107708818/reviews) | **[4.5 (287 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/desertopia/id1265572046/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1K** | 287 |
| Positive reviews | **70.0% of reviews** | 45.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 120 MB | 218 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Badru LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1107708817) | [Gamtropy Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1265572045) |

## What reviewers say

### Viridi

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/viridi/id1107708818)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Aeonium (5) | $0.99 | one-time |
| Agave macroacantha (3) | $0.99 | one-time |
| Haworthia attenuata (10) | $0.99 | one-time |
| Lithops optica 'Rubra' (10) | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pachyphytum hookeri (10) | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pachyphytum oviferum (5) | $0.99 | one-time |
| Sedum morganianum (2) | $0.99 | one-time |
| Senecio rowleyanus (2) | $0.99 | one-time |
| Senecio serpens (5) | $0.99 | one-time |
| Random seedlings (9) | $0.99 | one-time |
| Fish Skellie to the Cat House | $2.99 | one-time |
| Key to the Apartment | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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

[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 (15)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ad-Free Pass (30 Days) | $19.99 | per month |
| 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 |
| DNAPack001 | $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 |
| (Limited) New Year Pass | $9.99 | one-time |
| (Limited) New Year Pack 3 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Gem Pack IV | $19.99 | one-time |
| (Limited) New Year Pack 4 | $29.99 | 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 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*