# Dreamstep vs Idle Prison Tycoon

The clearest difference is rating: Idle Prison Tycoon at 4.7 against Dreamstep's 3.3. Idle Prison Tycoon also leads on ratings volume (636 vs 4). Dreamstep's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 11 days vs monthly). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Dreamstep sells 7 one-off in-app purchases and Idle Prison Tycoon sells 12 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Idle Prison Tycoon holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Idle Prison Tycoon has 636 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 33% of Dreamstep's written reviews are positive against 35% of Idle Prison Tycoon's.

Dreamstep ships an update every 11 days, Idle Prison Tycoon monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dreamstep | Idle Prison Tycoon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.3 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dreamstep/id1294726032/reviews) | **[4.7 (636 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-prison-tycoon/id1547370424/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **636** |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | **34.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 11 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 95 MB | 189 MB |
| Requires iOS | **6.0** | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [HYKICK](https://appshunter.io/developer/1196593302) | [NADDIC GAMES Co Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/411719774) |

## What reviewers say

### Dreamstep

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dreamstep/id1294726032)

This game combines walking with a spinner mechanic to create planets and collect dream characters. Enjoy mini running games and use collected items to gather more dream planets and constellations.

**Highlights:** Pedometer integration, Spinner mechanic, Planet creation, Character collection, Mini running games, Item collection

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Gems 200 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Gems 500 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Gems 1500 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Gems 3500 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Gems 8000 | $19.99 | one-time |
| Gems 24000 | $49.99 | one-time |
| Gems 50000 | $79.99 | one-time |


### Idle Prison Tycoon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-prison-tycoon/id1547370424)

Manage a prison and rehabilitate criminals through various facilities and educational programs. This idle tycoon game allows you to earn money even when offline, with strategic facility upgrades and guard hiring to maximize prisoner value and progress.

**Highlights:** Idle tycoon gameplay, Prison facility management, Criminal rehabilitation programs, Strategic guard hiring, Facility upgrades and expansion, Weekly seasonal events

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

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Gem1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Piggy Bank1 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Gem2 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Package1 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Gem3 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Package2 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Package4 | $9.99 | one-time |
| event time package 6 | $12.99 | one-time |
| Package3 | $14.99 | one-time |
| Gem4 | $18.99 | one-time |
| premium pass 2 | $19.99 | one-time |
| VIP1 | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Addictive gameplay
- 👍 Fun tycoon concept
- 🎨 Enjoyable art style

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 💰 Excessive ads and monetization
- ⏱️ Slow progress and long wait times
- 🔧 Lack of updates and developer support

**Reported bugs**

- Invisible prisoners issue
- Unreliable reward system for ads and purchases
- Crashes when upgrading rooms or switching prisons

**Requested features**

- Skip tutorial option
- More frequent events and content updates
- Better balance between free-to-play and paid progression


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Dreamstep free?

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

### Is Idle Prison Tycoon free?

Idle Prison Tycoon is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Dreamstep or Idle Prison Tycoon?

Idle Prison Tycoon is rated higher. Dreamstep averages 3.3 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Idle Prison Tycoon averages 4.7 from 636 ratings.

### Do Dreamstep or Idle Prison Tycoon have ads?

Idle Prison Tycoon shows ads; Dreamstep does not.

### Which is updated more often, Dreamstep or Idle Prison Tycoon?

Dreamstep ships an update every 11 days, and Idle Prison Tycoon monthly. Most recently, Dreamstep was updated on October 24, 2026 and Idle Prison Tycoon on October 22, 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.*