# Pixel Plex vs 1sland

The clearest difference is ads: Pixel Plex at none against 1sland's shown. Pixel Plex also leads on review sentiment (69% vs 52%). 1sland's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pixel Plex sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and 1sland sells 9 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 Pixel Plex against 4.5 for 1sland. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.1K and 2.7K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 69% of Pixel Plex's written reviews are positive against 52% of 1sland's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pixel Plex | 1sland |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (2.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-plex-city-builder/id1296964678/reviews)** | [4.5 (2.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/1sland/id1492928510/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2.1K | **2.7K** |
| Positive reviews | **68.8% of reviews** | 52.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 140 MB | 399 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Toast - Apps and Software LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/393055476) | [nada studio, sl](https://appshunter.io/developer/1157484553) |

## What reviewers say

### Pixel Plex

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-plex-city-builder/id1296964678)

Collaborate with up to 40 players to build, trade, and expand a shared city. Design unique structures, manage resources, and engage in market trading to grow your collective cityscape. Participate in mayoral elections to influence city-wide decisions in this ad-free, relaxing simulation.

**Highlights:** Collaborative city building with up to 40 players, Resource trading and market management, Over 60 unique, evolving buildings, Land expansion and business growth, In-game mayoral elections, Ad-free gameplay

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

**In-app purchases (16)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pixel Club Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Bundle 7 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pixel Pack 1 | $1.49 | one-time |
| Change Username | $1.49 | one-time |
| Bundle 1 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Pixel Pack 2 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Bundle 6 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Bundle 4 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Bundle 3 | $5.99 | one-time |
| Bundle 2 | $5.99 | one-time |
| Multiple Cities | $5.99 | one-time |
| Bundle 5 | $6.99 | one-time |
| Pixel Pack 3 | $14.99 | one-time |
| Pixel Pack 6 | $24.99 | one-time |
| Pixel Pack 4 | $49.99 | one-time |
| Pixel Pack 5 | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Chill and relaxing gameplay
- 🤩 Great city building experience
- 💪 Collaborative community aspect
- 🎨 Appealing pixel art style

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- ⏱️ Slow progression and resource gathering
- 💰 Paywall to create new cities
- 🏠 Inactive players occupying city slots

**Reported bugs**

- Buildings disappearing after upgrades
- Incorrect countdown timers
- Negative resource and money balances
- Plex market crashing the game
- Inability to create new cities after purchase

**Requested features**

- Ability to kick inactive players
- More buildings and upgrade options
- Faster resource generation
- Shared trading depot between servers
- Ability to switch servers without losing progress


### 1sland

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/1sland/id1492928510)

Compete daily to find an island faster than others in a relaxing race. Customize and build your own home island, farm crops, craft items, fish, and explore the ocean. This zen experience offers endless possibilities for creativity and relaxation.

**Highlights:** Daily island finding competition, Home island customization, Farming and crop growing, Item crafting, Ocean exploration and fishing, Island layout modification

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Starfish Pack 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Starfish Pack 2 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Bundle - Thanksgiving | $2.99 | one-time |
| Starfish Pack 3 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Paddle Pass (30 days) | $4.99 | one-time |
| Bundle - Christmas | $7.99 | one-time |
| Starfish Pack 4 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Starfish Pack 5 | $17.99 | one-time |
| Starfish Pack 6 | $35.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌅 Relaxing and calming experience
- 🎨 Beautiful graphics and art style
- 🕹️ Fun and addictive gameplay
- 🕰️ Zen-like atmosphere
- 🐟 Enjoyable fishing and exploration

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤖 Same players win repeatedly due to pay-to-win advantages
- ⏱️ Rounds are too infrequent (every 6 hours)
- 🤔 Unclear progression and gameplay mechanics
- 🧭 Flares and navigation tools are unreliable
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches (e.g. crashing, loading issues)

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to place multiple buoys/flares
- Inconsistent performance and lag issues
- Tutorial crashes and leaves players confused
- Packages/rewards not opening properly

**Requested features**

- More frequent island spawns (every 1-3 hours)
- Ability to customize and decorate home island
- Offline/solo mode for relaxing exploration
- More diverse mini-games and challenges
- Ability to see other players' boats moving in real-time


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pixel Plex free?

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

### Is 1sland free?

1sland is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Pixel Plex or 1sland?

Pixel Plex is rated higher. Pixel Plex averages 4.6 out of 5 from 2.1K ratings, while 1sland averages 4.5 from 2.7K ratings.

### Do Pixel Plex or 1sland have ads?

1sland shows ads; Pixel Plex does not.

### Which is updated more often, Pixel Plex or 1sland?

Pixel Plex ships an update weekly, and 1sland weekly. Most recently, Pixel Plex was updated on October 17, 2026 and 1sland on October 14, 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.*