# IdleX vs Planetary Idle

The clearest difference is ads: IdleX at none against Planetary Idle's shown. IdleX also leads on review sentiment (61% vs 50%) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 17). Planetary Idle's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.5). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. IdleX sells 7 one-off in-app purchases and Planetary Idle sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Planetary Idle holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 148 and 81 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 61% of IdleX's written reviews are positive against 50% of Planetary Idle's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | IdleX | Planetary Idle |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (148 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idlex-galaxy-wanderer/id1457584332/reviews) | **[4.8 (81 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planetary-idle/id6450142774/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **148** | 81 |
| Positive reviews | **61.0% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 610 MB | 112 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 17 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [hcm](https://appshunter.io/developer/1222717972) | [Roberto Frias Nerio](https://appshunter.io/developer/1692039143) |

## What reviewers say

### IdleX

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idlex-galaxy-wanderer/id1457584332)

Embark on a cosmic adventure to earn money across the universe. Upgrade your fleet, hire pilots for automation, and research breakthroughs to maximize your profits. Explore new planets and sectors, and even utilize wormholes for faster progression. Play offline and enjoy a relaxing space journey.

**Highlights:** Send missions to earn money, Upgrade ships for faster earnings, Hire pilots for automation, Unlock new planets, Research for profit boosts, Explore new sectors, Use wormholes for faster progression

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| No Ads Perk | $0.99 | one-time |
| 40 Gold Bars | $1.99 | one-time |
| 120 Gold Bars | $4.99 | one-time |
| 300 Gold Bars | $9.99 | one-time |
| 750 Gold Bars | $19.99 | one-time |
| 2250 Gold Bars | $49.99 | one-time |
| 5500 Gold Bars | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Addictive idle gameplay
- 💡 Great wormhole mechanic
- 👍 Good fun for most of the game
- 👍 Nice game
- 👍 Great time killer

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Game crashing at startup
- 🐛 Game crashes on specific actions
- 🐛 Offline income not earned
- 🐛 Game progression too slow
- 🐛 Game stagnates late-game

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes on startup
- Game crashes when launching ships or purchasing autopilot
- Offline earnings not being collected
- Space gems not gathering
- Vibrate setting not saving

**Requested features**

- Add Mercury and Venus technologies
- Add Ceres rotators for gravity
- Multi-buy button for wormhole upgrades
- Push and hold feature for spending space gems
- Add new sectors/planets


### Planetary Idle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planetary-idle/id6450142774)

Explore planets with a retro sci-fi idle theme. Hire scientists for passive income, tap for boosts, and research expeditions for discoveries. Prestige to reset with permanent upgrades and unlock perks with rare QBits.

**Highlights:** Hire Scientists for passive income, Tap to boost active income, Research expeditions for discoveries, Prestige system with permanent upgrades, Earn QBits for powerful perks, Offline progress for 6 hours

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Booster Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Research Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Quantum Pack | $6.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is IdleX free?

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

### Is Planetary Idle free?

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

### Which has better reviews, IdleX or Planetary Idle?

Planetary Idle is rated higher. IdleX averages 4.5 out of 5 from 148 ratings, while Planetary Idle averages 4.8 from 81 ratings.

### Do IdleX or Planetary Idle have ads?

Planetary Idle shows ads; IdleX does not.

### Which is updated more often, IdleX or Planetary Idle?

IdleX ships an update weekly, and Planetary Idle weekly. Most recently, IdleX was updated on October 25, 2026 and Planetary Idle on November 3, 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.*