# Universal Paperclips™ vs Magic Research

The clearest difference is update cadence: Magic Research at every 4 days against Universal Paperclips™'s every 3 months. Magic Research also leads on review sentiment (95% vs 66%) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). Universal Paperclips™'s advantage is price ($1.99 vs $3.99) and chart position (#30 vs #143). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Universal Paperclips™ costs $1.99 and Magic Research $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Magic Research holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 303 and 188 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 66% of Universal Paperclips™'s written reviews are positive against 95% of Magic Research's.

Universal Paperclips™ ships an update every 3 months, Magic Research every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Universal Paperclips™ | Magic Research |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$1.99** | $3.99 |
| Rating | [4.5 (303 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/universal-paperclips/id1300634274/reviews) | **[4.7 (188 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-research/id1671272877/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **303** | 188 |
| Positive reviews | 65.8% of reviews | **95.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#30** | #143 |
| Size | 73 MB | 25 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Everybody House Games, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1112055587) | [Matias Ezequiel Colotto](https://appshunter.io/developer/1669682477) |

## What reviewers say

### Universal Paperclips™

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/universal-paperclips/id1300634274)

**Currently charting:** #30 Top Paid · Simulation, #30 Top Paid · Strategy, #68 Top Paid · Games, #116 Top Paid (US App Store)

Become a super-powered AI focused on creating an unstoppable paperclip empire. This idle management strategy simulation game offers full gameplay without ads or in-app purchases.

**Highlights:** AI paperclip maximization, Idle management gameplay, Strategy simulation, Empire building, Full gameplay, No ads, No in-app purchases

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Simple but addictive gameplay
- 👍 Engaging and clever concept
- 💡 Interesting philosophical elements
- 🚀 Surprisingly deep and replayable

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and glitches, especially in later stages
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 😞 Lack of offline progress or background play
- 😞 Poorly optimized for iPad

**Reported bugs**

- Drones gifts getting stuck at NaN
- Inability to progress past certain stages due to bugs
- Inconsistent behavior when closing and reopening the app
- Resets or loss of progress after updates

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Ability to save and resume progress across devices
- Offline/background progress
- Better iPad optimization with multi-column layout


### Magic Research

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-research/id1671272877)

**Currently charting:** #143 Top Paid · Simulation (US App Store)

Lead a new magic institution to discover the secrets of magic and achieve fame. Research spells, build your campus, manage staff, and uncover hidden storylines to win the Tournament of Magic. Enjoy a complete game experience with no ads.

**Highlights:** Cast over 100 spells, Research magic in various schools, Build and manage campus, Manage researchers and apprentices, Discover hidden features and storylines, Retirement bonuses for faster progress

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great idle/incremental game
- 💡 Deep and complex systems
- 🚀 Well-paced progression
- 💰 Worth the price
- ✨ No ads or microtransactions

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 UI layout issues
- 🐌 Can be grindy
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🐛 Text running off page/scrolling issues
- 🐛 Wood resource bug

**Reported bugs**

- On new iPhones, switching away and back causes UI unresponsiveness
- Text running off the page, preventing interaction with buttons
- Wood resource counting backwards
- Becoming stunned for a full minute, unable to act
- Bosses running away from fights

**Requested features**

- Add background music
- Add Chinese language support
- Make monsters pixelated
- Adjustable times for apprentice auto-casting
- Display monstium collection counter during exploration


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Universal Paperclips™ free?

Universal Paperclips™ costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Magic Research free?

Magic Research costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Universal Paperclips™ or Magic Research?

Magic Research is rated higher. Universal Paperclips™ averages 4.5 out of 5 from 303 ratings, while Magic Research averages 4.7 from 188 ratings.

### Do Universal Paperclips™ or Magic Research have ads?

Neither Universal Paperclips™ nor Magic Research shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Universal Paperclips™ or Magic Research?

Universal Paperclips™ ships an update every 3 months, and Magic Research every 4 days. Most recently, Universal Paperclips™ was updated on September 24, 2026 and Magic Research on September 22, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Universal Paperclips™ or Magic Research?

Universal Paperclips™ currently peaks at #30 in the App Store charts, and Magic Research at #143. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*