# DESERTOPIA vs Penguin Isle

The clearest difference is ads: Penguin Isle at none against DESERTOPIA's shown. Penguin Isle also leads on review sentiment (71% vs 45%) and ratings volume (39K vs 287). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. DESERTOPIA sells 15 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month and Penguin Isle sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Penguin Isle holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Penguin Isle has 39K ratings behind it against 287, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 45% of DESERTOPIA's written reviews are positive against 71% of Penguin Isle's.

DESERTOPIA ships an update every 2 months, Penguin Isle monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | DESERTOPIA | Penguin Isle |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (287 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/desertopia/id1265572046/reviews) | **[4.8 (39K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penguin-isle/id1474314811/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 287 | **39K** |
| Positive reviews | 45.3% of reviews | **70.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 218 MB | 472 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Gamtropy Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1265572045) | [HABBY](https://appshunter.io/developer/1422308796) |

## 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


### Penguin Isle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penguin-isle/id1474314811)

Collect adorable penguins and create their habitats in a relaxing arctic environment. Enjoy simple gameplay with cute animations and soothing music. Discover various penguins and arctic animals while unwinding to the sound of waves.

**Highlights:** Collect diverse penguins and arctic animals, Create unique habitats for each penguin, Easy and simple gameplay, Cute animal animations, Beautiful arctic scenery, Relaxing music and wave sounds

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| A Heap of Gems | $0.99 | one-time |
| Beginner’s Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Limit Package | $0.99 | one-time |
| Beginner Boost Package | $0.99 | one-time |
| 50 Ad Skip Tokens | $2.99 | one-time |
| Special Package. | $3.99 | one-time |
| A Bucket of Gems | $4.99 | one-time |
| Jeweler Package | $4.99 | one-time |
| 150 Ad Skip Tokens | $5.99 | one-time |
| Baby Penguin Pack | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Relaxing and calming game
- 🐧 Cute and adorable penguins
- 🎨 Beautiful graphics and animations
- 🎶 Soothing music and ambient sounds
- ⏱️ Offline progress and rewards

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔋 Game drains battery and heats up device
- 📺 Excessive ads required for progression
- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
- 🤔 Confusing or unclear quests/objectives
- 🐧 Limited penguin/habitat customization options

**Reported bugs**

- Offline rewards not working correctly
- Penguins disappearing or getting stuck
- Ads failing to load or crashing the game
- Quests not triggering or progressing properly

**Requested features**

- Ability to name and dress up penguins
- More interactive penguin activities
- Expanded decoration and customization options
- Day/night cycle and weather effects
- Multiplayer or social features


## Frequently asked questions

### Is DESERTOPIA free?

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

### Is Penguin Isle free?

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

### Which has better reviews, DESERTOPIA or Penguin Isle?

Penguin Isle is rated higher. DESERTOPIA averages 4.5 out of 5 from 287 ratings, while Penguin Isle averages 4.8 from 39K ratings.

### Do DESERTOPIA or Penguin Isle have ads?

DESERTOPIA shows ads; Penguin Isle does not.

### Which is updated more often, DESERTOPIA or Penguin Isle?

DESERTOPIA ships an update every 2 months, and Penguin Isle monthly. Most recently, DESERTOPIA was updated on October 15, 2026 and Penguin Isle on October 19, 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.*