# Bonsai Master vs Zen Koi 2

The clearest difference is ads: Bonsai Master at none against Zen Koi 2's shown. Bonsai Master also leads on review sentiment (90% vs 71%) and update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly). Zen Koi 2's advantage is ratings volume (30K vs 22). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bonsai Master sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Zen Koi 2 sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Bonsai Master against 4.8 for Zen Koi 2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Zen Koi 2 has 30K ratings behind it against 22, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 90% of Bonsai Master's written reviews are positive against 71% of Zen Koi 2's.

Bonsai Master ships an update fortnightly, Zen Koi 2 monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bonsai Master | Zen Koi 2 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (22 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bonsai-master/id1275911201/reviews) | **[4.8 (30K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zen-koi-2/id1280254438/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 22 | **30K** |
| Positive reviews | **90.0% of reviews** | 71.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 70 MB | 153 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Andrey Brykin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1275911050) | [LandShark Games Pte. Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/635142101) |

## What reviewers say

### Bonsai Master

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bonsai-master/id1275911201)

Explore the ancient art of bonsai and penjing by growing miniature trees from seed. Prune, bend, and style your creations in realistic 3D with augmented reality support. Share your artwork and join a community of artists.

**Highlights:** Grow trees from seed, Prune and bend branches, High-quality 3D graphics, Augmented reality support, 13 different bonsai styles, Detailed video tutorials, Community sharing and feedback

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full functionality | $3.99 | one-time |


### Zen Koi 2

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zen-koi-2/id1280254438)

Nurture and breed vibrant koi, guiding them through a serene journey to transform into majestic dragons. Customize your underwater sanctuary and create unique constellations in a breathtaking celestial realm.

**Highlights:** Breed and nurture koi, Transform koi into dragons, Explore the Dragon Realm, Craft and share constellations, Customize personal aquarium, Compete on leaderboards

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small handful of Pearls | $1.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Value Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Offer Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Shodo Pack | $2.79 | one-time |
| Fun Pack | $3.99 | one-time |
| Handful of Pearls | $4.99 | one-time |
| Nice Pack | $8.99 | one-time |
| Bag of Pearls | $9.99 | one-time |
| Tsuru Pack | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌊 Relaxing and calming game
- 🐉 Ability to play as dragons
- 🎨 Beautiful graphics and animations
- 🎶 Soothing music
- 🔓 No intrusive ads

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🕰️ Slow progression and high costs for new koi slots
- 🐟 Repetitive prey-catching gameplay
- 🔌 Connectivity issues and loading problems
- 🤖 Unsatisfying dragon gameplay

**Reported bugs**

- Saved progress being lost or not loading properly
- Glitches with dragon appearances

**Requested features**

- Offline play mode
- More variety in pond environments and prey
- Ability to interact with and customize dragons
- Easier way to complete collections
- Improved friend integration and trading


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bonsai Master free?

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

### Is Zen Koi 2 free?

Zen Koi 2 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Bonsai Master or Zen Koi 2?

Zen Koi 2 is rated higher. Bonsai Master averages 4.6 out of 5 from 22 ratings, while Zen Koi 2 averages 4.8 from 30K ratings.

### Do Bonsai Master or Zen Koi 2 have ads?

Zen Koi 2 shows ads; Bonsai Master does not.

### Which is updated more often, Bonsai Master or Zen Koi 2?

Bonsai Master ships an update fortnightly, and Zen Koi 2 monthly. Most recently, Bonsai Master was updated on November 3, 2026 and Zen Koi 2 on November 5, 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.*