# Shiny Chain vs MasterDex

The clearest difference is rating: MasterDex at 4.8 against Shiny Chain's 4.0. MasterDex also leads on review sentiment (87% vs 62%) and ratings volume (1.7K vs 65). Shiny Chain's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 16.6). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Shiny Chain sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and MasterDex sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

MasterDex holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MasterDex has 1.7K ratings behind it against 65, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 62% of Shiny Chain's written reviews are positive against 87% of MasterDex's.

Shiny Chain ships an update fortnightly, MasterDex every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shiny Chain | MasterDex |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (65 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shiny-chain/id1185557548/reviews) | **[4.8 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/masterdex-complete-guide/id1621464261/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 65 | **1.7K** |
| Positive reviews | 61.7% of reviews | **86.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 63 MB | 196 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Noxfall Studios SL](https://appshunter.io/developer/1182967307) | [Lorenzo Greco](https://appshunter.io/developer/480768196) |

## What reviewers say

### Shiny Chain

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shiny-chain/id1185557548)

Track your shiny hunting progress with detailed stats like shiny percentage, IVs, and hidden abilities. Save your achievements and share your hunts with friends. Offers advanced features for specific game editions and ad-free experience in its pro version.

**Highlights:** Single and double shiny chain counter, Track shiny and hidden ability percentages, Monitor minimum max IVs, Save chain information and achievements, Support for multiple game editions (Pro), Multi-language support

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Version | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Great for shiny hunting
- 👍 Easy to use
- 💰 Affordable pro version
- 💡 Useful for tracking
- 🚀 Motivates users

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Data loss/resets
- 💸 Purchase restore issues
- 😠 Ads in paid version
- 🤔 Incorrect odds
- 🚫 Music pauses

**Reported bugs**

- Counter resets to 0 randomly
- Lost all progress/achievements
- Purchase not restoring after phone change
- Premium version not loading after purchase
- Ads reappear after paying to remove them

**Requested features**

- Add support for new games (Sword/Shield, etc.)
- Add mode for older games (Gen V and prior)
- Add 2 counters for dual-hunting
- Add mode for VC GSC reset counters
- Add reset counter for egg/Masuda method


### MasterDex

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/masterdex-complete-guide/id1621464261)

This app serves as a comprehensive guide for fans and trainers, offering detailed information on creatures, team building, and the trading card game. It features offline access, advanced search, and tracking for favorite creatures and shinies, updated for the latest generation.

**Highlights:** Updated creature information, Team builder tool, Trading Card Game details, Offline functionality, Shiny creature tracker, Advanced search filters

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Masteredex - Sale | $1.99 | one-time |
| Masterdex PRO | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fantastic app
- 👍 Great Pokédex
- 🔒 No ads
- 💡 One-time purchase
- 👍 Aesthetically pleasing

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashing and slow loading
- 🐛 Bugs with team builder
- 🐛 Missing Pokémon forms and gender differences
- 🐛 Incorrect or outdated information
- 💡 Lack of Pokémon location filters

**Reported bugs**

- Shiny toggle not working in team builder
- Pokémon 3D models and artwork not displaying
- Johto region locations missing
- Crashes when adding Pokémon to teams
- Incorrect information for some Pokémon (e.g., Necrozma's ability, Pikachu's classification)

**Requested features**

- Add Pokémon location filters
- Implement ability to mark Pokémon as caught/seen
- Add damage calculator
- Allow reorganizing of teams
- Include Pokémon cries and Dynamax/Gigantamax forms


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shiny Chain free?

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

### Is MasterDex free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Shiny Chain or MasterDex?

MasterDex is rated higher. Shiny Chain averages 4.0 out of 5 from 65 ratings, while MasterDex averages 4.8 from 1.7K ratings.

### Do Shiny Chain or MasterDex have ads?

MasterDex shows ads; Shiny Chain does not.

### Which is updated more often, Shiny Chain or MasterDex?

Shiny Chain ships an update fortnightly, and MasterDex every 3 weeks. Most recently, Shiny Chain was updated on October 2, 2026 and MasterDex on October 20, 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.*