# DESERTOPIA vs Auric

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Auric at none against DESERTOPIA's 10. Auric also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (daily vs every 2 months). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. DESERTOPIA sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Auric asks for nothing beyond the download.

DESERTOPIA ships an update every 2 months, Auric daily. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | DESERTOPIA | Auric |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (287 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/desertopia/id1265572046/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **287** | — |
| Positive reviews | 45.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 218 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Gamtropy Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1265572045) | [Arsenii Borodin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1846666345) |

## 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 (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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 |
| Gem Pack III | $9.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Ancient Island | $9.99 | one-time |
| Cat Pack 1 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Gem Pack IV | $19.99 | 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


### Auric

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/auric-eclipse/id6767946570)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is DESERTOPIA free?

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

### Is Auric free?

Auric is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do DESERTOPIA or Auric have ads?

DESERTOPIA shows ads; Auric does not.

### Which is updated more often, DESERTOPIA or Auric?

DESERTOPIA ships an update every 2 months, and Auric daily. Most recently, DESERTOPIA was updated on November 2, 2026 and Auric on October 31, 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.*