# Homo Evolution vs Holy Mackerel

Homo Evolution and Holy Mackerel both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Holy Mackerel's written reviews are positive against 59% of Homo Evolution's. Homo Evolution's advantage is ratings volume (11K vs 13) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.0). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Homo Evolution sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days and Holy Mackerel sells 22 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 Homo Evolution against 4.5 for Holy Mackerel. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Homo Evolution has 11K ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 59% of Homo Evolution's written reviews are positive against 100% of Holy Mackerel's.

Homo Evolution ships an update every 3 weeks, Holy Mackerel fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Homo Evolution | Holy Mackerel |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (11K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/homo-evolution/id1441417054/reviews)** | [4.5 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/holy-mackerel/id6572291924/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **11K** | 13 |
| Positive reviews | 58.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 125 MB | 174 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Azur Interactive Games Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1296347323) | [Kate Young](https://appshunter.io/developer/1759110751) |

## What reviewers say

### Homo Evolution

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/homo-evolution/id1441417054)

Create your own world by merging creatures to unlock new life forms and advance through stages of evolution. Explore different branches of development, from animals to modern society, and discover new technologies and products.

**Highlights:** Merge creatures to create new life forms, Advance through 4 distinct world shaping paths, Unlock 8 stages of evolution, Explore animal, first people, and modern society branches, Tap to progress and unlock new worlds

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| VIP | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Disable Ads | $0.99 | one-time |
| Starter pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| MULTIPLY BONUS | $0.99 | one-time |
| Hard pack 1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| EVOLUTION BOOST | $1.99 | one-time |
| X6 CREATURES BONUS | $1.99 | one-time |
| SPIN MASTER 1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Hard pack 2 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Hard pack 3 | $16.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fun and addictive
- 👍 Doesn't require mobile data
- 👍 Rewards for watching ads

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Sexist portrayal of women
- 🔍 Too many ads
- 🔍 Slow progression

**Reported bugs**

- Mission timer issues
- Spinning wheel not working
- Creatures disappearing after merging

**Requested features**

- More worlds and characters
- Ability to reset progress
- Offline mission progress


### Holy Mackerel

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/holy-mackerel/id6572291924)

Embark on a pixel art fishing adventure across diverse biomes. Master timing-based mechanics, upgrade gear, and discover unique fish, including the legendary Holy Mackerel. Engage with charming NPCs and enjoy a stylized, cartoonish world.

**Highlights:** Retro pixel art graphics, Explore diverse biomes, Unique fish in each biome, Timing-based fishing mechanics, Gear upgrades, Unlock new biomes, Interact with NPCs

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (22)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Supporters pt1 | $0.49 | one-time |
| Supporters pt2 | $0.49 | one-time |
| Supporters pt3 | $0.49 | one-time |
| Supporters pt4 | $0.49 | one-time |
| Handful Of Clams | $0.99 | one-time |
| Its Alive | $2.99 | one-time |
| Sun, Surf & Style Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Astronaut In The Ocean | $2.99 | one-time |
| Speed Tackle Bundle | $3.99 | one-time |
| Xmas 2024 Hat + Boat Pack | $3.99 | one-time |
| Bucket Full Of Clams (Sale) | $3.99 | one-time |
| Fancy Pants Pack | $3.99 | one-time |
| Plunders Pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| Bucket Full Of Clams | $5.99 | one-time |
| Crate Of Clams (sale) | $7.99 | one-time |
| Crate Of Clams | $9.99 | one-time |
| Boat Full Of Clams (Sale) | $17.99 | one-time |
| Boat Full Of Clams | $19.99 | one-time |
| Chest Full Of Clams | $29.99 | one-time |
| Chest Full Of Clams | $39.99 | one-time |
| Ocean Full Of Clams | $44.99 | one-time |
| Ocean Full Of Clams | $59.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Gorgeous pixel art
- 🎮 Fun and engaging gameplay
- 🐟 Variety of fish species and biomes
- 🚫 No ads (unless you want to watch for rewards)
- 🤗 Puts a smile on your face

**What reviewers complain about**

- ❄️ Ice blocks suck


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Homo Evolution free?

Homo Evolution is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Holy Mackerel free?

Holy Mackerel is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Homo Evolution or Holy Mackerel?

Homo Evolution is rated higher. Homo Evolution averages 4.6 out of 5 from 11K ratings, while Holy Mackerel averages 4.5 from 13 ratings.

### Do Homo Evolution or Holy Mackerel have ads?

Both Homo Evolution and Holy Mackerel show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Homo Evolution or Holy Mackerel?

Homo Evolution ships an update every 3 weeks, and Holy Mackerel fortnightly. Most recently, Homo Evolution was updated on September 27, 2026 and Holy Mackerel on September 30, 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.*