# DESERTOPIA vs Cats and Sharks

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Cats and Sharks at none against DESERTOPIA's 15. Cats and Sharks also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs every 2 months) and review sentiment (69% vs 45%). On price, ratings volume, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. DESERTOPIA sells 15 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Cats and Sharks asks for nothing beyond the download.

Cats and Sharks holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 287 and 473 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 45% of DESERTOPIA's written reviews are positive against 69% of Cats and Sharks's.

DESERTOPIA ships an update every 2 months, Cats and Sharks every 6 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | DESERTOPIA | Cats and Sharks |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (287 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/desertopia/id1265572046/reviews) | **[4.8 (473 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cats-and-sharks/id1348682413/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 287 | **473** |
| Positive reviews | 45.3% of reviews | **68.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 218 MB | 75 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **8.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Gamtropy Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1265572045) | [Ryota Kikuchi](https://appshunter.io/developer/871799640) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Cats and Sharks

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cats-and-sharks/id1348682413)

Cultivate a delightful 3D garden to draw in numerous feline companions. Observe over 40 distinct cat breeds and their herbivorous shark friends engage in adorable animations. Simply provide food to foster friendships and discover what other creatures might visit.

**Highlights:** Create a charming 3D garden, Attract over 40 types of cats, Befriend herbivorous sharks, Observe cute animal actions, Easy to play simulation

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 😻 Adorable and cute cat designs
- 😌 Relaxing and healing gameplay
- ⏱️ Quick play sessions (5 minutes)
- 🎮 Simple and easy to understand
- 🐱 Unique cat and shark combination

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent freezing after watching ads
- 🐛 Rewards not received after ads
- 📹 Ads fail to load or play
- 🎥 OK button unresponsive after videos
- 📱 Limited camera rotation (fixed viewpoint)

**Reported bugs**

- Freezing after watching advertisement videos
- OK button becomes unresponsive after ads
- Rewards not credited despite watching ads
- Advertisement videos fail to load
- Camera rotation stuck or limited

**Requested features**

- 360-degree camera rotation capability
- Slower day/night cycle transitions
- Expand island/map size
- New cat species and varieties
- More shark types and interactions


## Frequently asked questions

### Is DESERTOPIA free?

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

### Is Cats and Sharks free?

Cats and Sharks is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, DESERTOPIA or Cats and Sharks?

Cats and Sharks is rated higher. DESERTOPIA averages 4.5 out of 5 from 287 ratings, while Cats and Sharks averages 4.8 from 473 ratings.

### Do DESERTOPIA or Cats and Sharks have ads?

Both DESERTOPIA and Cats and Sharks show ads.

### Which is updated more often, DESERTOPIA or Cats and Sharks?

DESERTOPIA ships an update every 2 months, and Cats and Sharks every 6 days. Most recently, DESERTOPIA was updated on October 24, 2026 and Cats and Sharks on October 24, 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.*