# The Gardens Between vs Pine Hearts

The clearest difference is price: Pine Hearts at Free against The Gardens Between's $4.99. Pine Hearts also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 8 months). The Gardens Between's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (3.7K vs 103). On review sentiment, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Pine Hearts is free to download; The Gardens Between costs $4.99 up front. Pine Hearts sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. The Gardens Between asks for nothing beyond the download.

The Gardens Between holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Gardens Between has 3.7K ratings behind it against 103, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of The Gardens Between's written reviews are positive against 72% of Pine Hearts's.

The Gardens Between ships an update every 8 months, Pine Hearts every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Gardens Between | Pine Hearts |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.8 (3.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-gardens-between/id1371965583/reviews)** | [4.6 (103 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pine-hearts/id6745611937/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3.7K** | 103 |
| Positive reviews | **76.0% of reviews** | 72.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#175** | — |
| Size | 926 MB | 981 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [THE VOXEL AGENTS PTY. LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/318770095) | [Secret Mode](https://appshunter.io/developer/1613352148) |

## What reviewers say

### The Gardens Between

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-gardens-between/id1371965583)

**Currently charting:** #175 Top Paid · Puzzle (US App Store)

Embark on an emotional journey through surreal island gardens, manipulating time to solve puzzles. Unpack memories and explore the significance of friendship in this visually stunning narrative adventure.

**Highlights:** Surreal island gardens, Time manipulation puzzles, Emotional friendship narrative, Storybook art style, Ambient soundtrack, No internet required, No in-app purchases or ads

**Features:** Game Controller support, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Beautiful graphics
- 💡 Unique gameplay mechanics
- 🌟 Immersive and relaxing experience
- 🎨 Stunning art style
- 🎶 Excellent soundtrack

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔋 Battery draining issues
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and performance problems
- 🕰️ Slow character movement
- 💤 Repetitive gameplay at times
- 🤔 Lack of clear instructions or tutorials

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes when connecting a controller
- Compatibility issues on certain devices

**Requested features**

- More levels and content
- Option to adjust character movement speed
- Improved controller support
- In-game hints or tips


### Pine Hearts

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pine-hearts/id6745611937)

Embark on a cozy hiking adventure in a nature reserve, revisiting childhood memories and helping quirky characters. Explore diverse locations, solve gentle puzzles, and uncover a heartfelt story about family. This game offers a relaxing experience with extensive accessibility options.

**Highlights:** Heartfelt story about family loss, Explore a sunny Scottish-inspired setting, Diverse locations: beaches, caves, golf courses, Gentle puzzling and stress-free exploration, Whimsical characters and quests, Pet cute dogs and pat cool crabs, Comprehensive accessibility options

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Purchase Full Game | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌳 Relaxing and adventurous gameplay
- 👍 Unique and enjoyable story
- 💎 Fun puzzles and exploration
- 🎨 Beautiful graphics and world
- 🎶 Wonderful music and atmosphere

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤔 Confusing navigation and getting lost
- 💰 Unclear pricing for full game
- 📱 Accessibility issues with touch controls
- 🕰️ Game feels unfinished or lacking content

**Reported bugs**

- Erratic and slow character movement
- Inability to save progress consistently

**Requested features**

- Longer gameplay and more content
- Improved navigation and map system
- Better accessibility options
- Clearer pricing and upgrade information


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Gardens Between free?

The Gardens Between costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Pine Hearts free?

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

### Which has better reviews, The Gardens Between or Pine Hearts?

The Gardens Between is rated higher. The Gardens Between averages 4.8 out of 5 from 3.7K ratings, while Pine Hearts averages 4.6 from 103 ratings.

### Do The Gardens Between or Pine Hearts have ads?

Neither The Gardens Between nor Pine Hearts shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Gardens Between or Pine Hearts?

The Gardens Between ships an update every 8 months, and Pine Hearts every 5 days. Most recently, The Gardens Between was updated on October 26, 2026 and Pine Hearts on October 24, 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.*