# Pixel Plex vs Idle Mars Survival

The clearest difference is ads: Pixel Plex at none against Idle Mars Survival's shown. Pixel Plex also leads on review sentiment (69% vs 35%) and update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). Idle Mars Survival's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pixel Plex sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Idle Mars Survival sells 14 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 4.6 for Idle Mars Survival. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.1K and 1.5K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 69% of Pixel Plex's written reviews are positive against 35% of Idle Mars Survival's.

Pixel Plex ships an update weekly, Idle Mars Survival fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pixel Plex | Idle Mars Survival |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (2.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-plex-city-builder/id1296964678/reviews)** | [4.6 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-mars-survival-migrate/id6470996516/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.1K** | 1.5K |
| Positive reviews | **69.0% of reviews** | 34.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 139 MB | 249 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Toast - Apps and Software LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/393055476) | [Oneorwa Technology Co.,Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1702491489) |

## 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


### Idle Mars Survival

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-mars-survival-migrate/id6470996516)

Survive and thrive as an astronaut stranded on Mars. Generate power, secure vital resources, and expand your base to accommodate more survivors. Develop oxygen production systems and defend against dangerous spore invasions to establish a successful colony.

**Highlights:** Generate power from solar and wind sources, Secure food, water, and essential supplies, Expand base and recruit new astronauts, Produce oxygen for colonization, Defend against spore invasions, Explore for mineral resources

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

**In-app purchases (14)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Novice gift | $0.99 | one-time |
| 80 Power Stones | $0.99 | one-time |
| 500 Power Stones | $4.99 | one-time |
| Limited Ad-free | $4.99 | one-time |
| Festival Gift No.1 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Festival Gift No.4 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Ad-free | $9.99 | one-time |
| Caretaker | $9.99 | one-time |
| 1200 Power Stones | $9.99 | one-time |
| Advanced Pass | $9.99 | one-time |
| Luxury gift package | $14.99 | one-time |
| 2500 Power Stones | $19.99 | one-time |
| 6500 Power Stones | $49.99 | one-time |
| 15000 Power Stones | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Engaging gameplay
- 👍 Addictive and fun
- 🚀 Smooth performance
- 💡 Creative concept

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes
- 🔋 Drains battery quickly
- 🔒 Lack of customer support
- 🔒 Buggy and glitchy
- 💰 Monetization issues

**Reported bugs**

- Incorrect resource calculations
- Stuck on second planet with no way to progress
- In-app purchases not working as expected
- Freezing and crashing issues
- Oxygen/resource production imbalance

**Requested features**

- Ability to move buildings
- Improved resource balancing
- Notifications for resource collection
- Cloud save/sync across devices
- Ability to listen to own music


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pixel Plex free?

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

### Is Idle Mars Survival free?

Idle Mars Survival is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Pixel Plex or Idle Mars Survival?

Pixel Plex is rated higher. Pixel Plex averages 4.6 out of 5 from 2.1K ratings, while Idle Mars Survival averages 4.6 from 1.5K ratings.

### Do Pixel Plex or Idle Mars Survival have ads?

Idle Mars Survival shows ads; Pixel Plex does not.

### Which is updated more often, Pixel Plex or Idle Mars Survival?

Pixel Plex ships an update weekly, and Idle Mars Survival fortnightly. Most recently, Pixel Plex was updated on October 29, 2026 and Idle Mars Survival 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.*