# Simon's Cat vs Magic Shop Idle

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Magic Shop Idle at none against Simon's Cat's 10. Simon's Cat's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 8 months) and ratings volume (53K vs 1). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Simon's Cat sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Magic Shop Idle asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Simon's Cat against 5.0 for Magic Shop Idle. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Simon's Cat has 53K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Simon's Cat ships an update monthly, Magic Shop Idle every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Simon's Cat | Magic Shop Idle |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (53K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simons-cat-crunch-time/id1239458501/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-shop-idle/id6759504378/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **53K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 87.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 8 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 479 MB | 139 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tactile Games Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1400704108) | [Andrei Bolovintsev](https://appshunter.io/developer/1847702738) |

## What reviewers say

### Simon's Cat

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simons-cat-crunch-time/id1239458501)

Connect colorful treats to solve match-3 puzzles and help Simon's Cat recover stolen cookies. Battle villains, use power-ups, and explore charming locations in this delightful puzzle adventure.

**Highlights:** Connect treats to create combos, Hundreds of match-3 levels, Battle snack-stealing villains, Use purrfect power-ups, Play with friends, Exciting seasonal events

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Welcome Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Stack of Coins | $1.99 | one-time |
| Kitten Bundle | $1.99 | one-time |
| Kitten Bundle | $3.99 | one-time |
| Open Piggy Bank | $3.99 | one-time |
| Special Offer | $6.99 | one-time |
| Pile of Coins | $9.99 | one-time |
| Treat Bundle | $9.99 | one-time |
| Bag of Coins | $19.99 | one-time |
| Purrfect Bundle | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Cute and fun graphics
- 🕹️ Engaging gameplay
- 🕰️ Relaxing time-killer
- 🎁 Generous with free rewards
- 👨‍💻 Responsive developers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
- 🔁 Repetitive levels
- 🤯 Extremely difficult later levels
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 🔍 Misleading advertising

**Reported bugs**

- Freezing and crashing issues
- Ads not registering properly
- Incorrect scoring and progress tracking

**Requested features**

- Daily login bonus
- More variety in levels and challenges
- Option to disable ads
- Improved progression system


### Magic Shop Idle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-shop-idle/id6759504378)

Build and manage your own magic shop, starting from a small establishment and growing it into a bustling retail destination. Upgrade your shop's layout, equipment, and decor to attract more wizard customers and maximize profits.

**Highlights:** Build shop from scratch, Upgrade equipment, Decorate interior, Increase customer traffic, Expand shop space, Develop shop layout

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Simon's Cat free?

Simon's Cat is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Magic Shop Idle free?

Magic Shop Idle is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Simon's Cat or Magic Shop Idle?

Magic Shop Idle is rated higher. Simon's Cat averages 4.9 out of 5 from 53K ratings, while Magic Shop Idle averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Simon's Cat or Magic Shop Idle have ads?

Neither Simon's Cat nor Magic Shop Idle shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Simon's Cat or Magic Shop Idle?

Simon's Cat ships an update monthly, and Magic Shop Idle every 8 months. Most recently, Simon's Cat was updated on November 11, 2026 and Magic Shop Idle on November 9, 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.*