# Universal Paperclips™ vs Magic Research 2

The clearest difference is update cadence: Magic Research 2 at every 3 days against Universal Paperclips™'s every 3 months. Magic Research 2 also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.5) and review sentiment (82% vs 66%). Universal Paperclips™'s advantage is price ($1.99 vs $4.69). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Universal Paperclips™ costs $1.99 and Magic Research 2 $4.69 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Magic Research 2 holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 303 and 115 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 66% of Universal Paperclips™'s written reviews are positive against 82% of Magic Research 2's.

Universal Paperclips™ ships an update every 3 months, Magic Research 2 every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Universal Paperclips™ | Magic Research 2 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$1.99** | $4.69 |
| Rating | [4.5 (303 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/universal-paperclips/id1300634274/reviews) | **[4.8 (115 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-research-2/id6478566840/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **303** | 115 |
| Positive reviews | 66.1% of reviews | **82.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #49 | **#15** |
| Size | 73 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| 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:** #49 Top Paid · Simulation, #52 Top Paid · Strategy, #130 Top Paid · Games (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 2

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-research-2/id6478566840)

**Currently charting:** #15 Top Paid · Role Playing, #58 Top Paid · Simulation, #163 Top Paid · Games (US App Store)

Embark on a magical quest as a rookie wizard to find or create the Philosopher's Stone. Utilize over 120 spells, transmute hundreds of items, and lead a team of wizards in a semi-automated combat system. Explore dozens of areas, uncover secrets, and experience over 60 hours of gameplay.

**Highlights:** Over 120 distinct spells, Transmute over 250 items, Control a team of wizards, Semi-automated combat system, Explore dozens of areas, Discover secrets and storylines, Retirement bonuses for faster progress

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fantastic sequel, better than the first
- 👍 Incredible sense of progression
- 💡 Fun build types, best in genre
- 👍 Incremental masterclass, gold standard
- 👍 True semi-idle masterpiece

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Extremely complicated, tedious timers
- 🐛 UI is absolutely atrocious
- 🐛 Time pieces cap out at 100k
- 🐛 UI issues, not easy to navigate
- 🐛 Sorting doesn't sort exactly as wanted

**Reported bugs**

- App instantly crashes on open
- Game crashes on startup
- App started rapidly pushing buttons on its own
- Overheating phone
- Lags and gets choppy in the late game

**Requested features**

- DLC or sequel news
- macOS version
- Better automation and convenience features
- Tweak familiar search time down
- Release the next one


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Universal Paperclips™ free?

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

### Is Magic Research 2 free?

Magic Research 2 costs $4.69, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Universal Paperclips™ or Magic Research 2?

Magic Research 2 is rated higher. Universal Paperclips™ averages 4.5 out of 5 from 303 ratings, while Magic Research 2 averages 4.8 from 115 ratings.

### Do Universal Paperclips™ or Magic Research 2 have ads?

Neither Universal Paperclips™ nor Magic Research 2 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Universal Paperclips™ or Magic Research 2?

Universal Paperclips™ ships an update every 3 months, and Magic Research 2 every 3 days. Most recently, Universal Paperclips™ was updated on October 18, 2026 and Magic Research 2 on October 19, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Universal Paperclips™ or Magic Research 2?

Universal Paperclips™ currently peaks at #49 in the App Store charts, and Magic Research 2 at #15. 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.*