# DESERTOPIA vs Idle Pocket Planet

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Idle Pocket Planet at 92% against DESERTOPIA's 45%. Idle Pocket Planet also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.5) and update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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 and Idle Pocket Planet sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Idle Pocket Planet holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Idle Pocket Planet has 2.2K 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 92% of Idle Pocket Planet's.

DESERTOPIA ships an update every 2 months, Idle Pocket Planet monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | DESERTOPIA | Idle Pocket Planet |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (287 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/desertopia/id1265572046/reviews) | **[4.8 (2.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-pocket-planet/id1600303144/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 287 | **2.2K** |
| Positive reviews | 45.3% of reviews | **91.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 218 MB | 202 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Gamtropy Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1265572045) | [Mum Not Proud](https://appshunter.io/developer/1159475163) |

## 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


### Idle Pocket Planet

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-pocket-planet/id1600303144)

Explore and colonize a mysterious galaxy by merging settlements and ships to build technological fortresses. Collect artifacts, expand your empire across unusual planets, and enjoy a relaxing idle experience as your colonies grow automatically.

**Highlights:** Colonize mysterious galaxies, Merge settlements and ships, Discover new planets, Collect artifacts, Expand galactic empire, Idle gameplay

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pack 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Pack 2 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Pack 3 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Special Offer | $11.99 | one-time |
| Pack 4 | $19.99 | one-time |
| Pack 5 | $24.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🤩 Cute and fun game
- 🎨 Adorable art style
- 🌟 Relaxing and calming gameplay
- 🕹️ Engaging merging mechanics
- 🌍 Interesting planet exploration

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🕰️ Game ends too quickly
- 💰 Difficult to earn in-game currency
- 🔍 Unclear progression/objectives
- 🔔 Excessive notifications
- 🚫 Lack of ad-free purchase option

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional crashes or freezes
- Issues with ad rewards not working as expected

**Requested features**

- More planets and content to explore
- Ability to customize planets further
- Cross-game integration with other Hyperbeard titles
- Improved tutorial and guidance


## Frequently asked questions

### Is DESERTOPIA free?

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

### Is Idle Pocket Planet free?

Idle Pocket Planet is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, DESERTOPIA or Idle Pocket Planet?

Idle Pocket Planet is rated higher. DESERTOPIA averages 4.5 out of 5 from 287 ratings, while Idle Pocket Planet averages 4.8 from 2.2K ratings.

### Do DESERTOPIA or Idle Pocket Planet have ads?

Both DESERTOPIA and Idle Pocket Planet show ads.

### Which is updated more often, DESERTOPIA or Idle Pocket Planet?

DESERTOPIA ships an update every 2 months, and Idle Pocket Planet monthly. Most recently, DESERTOPIA was updated on October 29, 2026 and Idle Pocket Planet on October 30, 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.*