# Phage Invaders vs Idle evolution

The clearest difference is rating: Idle evolution at 4.6 against Phage Invaders's 4.0. Idle evolution also leads on ratings volume (5.9K vs 9) and review sentiment (75% vs 67%). Phage Invaders's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 22) and ads (none vs shown). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Idle evolution sells 22 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Phage Invaders asks for nothing beyond the download.

Idle evolution holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Idle evolution has 5.9K ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of Phage Invaders's written reviews are positive against 75% of Idle evolution's.

Phage Invaders ships an update every 4 days, Idle evolution every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Phage Invaders | Idle evolution |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phage-invaders/id1460866913/reviews) | **[4.6 (5.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-evolution-life-on-earth/id1484295610/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 9 | **5.9K** |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | **74.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 113 MB | 330 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12** | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Innovative Genomics Institute](https://appshunter.io/developer/1460866912) | [DoMobile Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/523576985) |

## What reviewers say

### Phage Invaders

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phage-invaders/id1460866913)

Defend the city of Bacterium from viral invaders by controlling a Cas9-inspired hero. Slash invading DNA and viral parts to protect the city. Features progressive levels and an infinite survival mode.

**Highlights:** Control Cas9-inspired hero, Slash invading DNA, Progressive difficulty levels, Survival mode, High score leaderboards

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Idle evolution

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-evolution-life-on-earth/id1484295610)

Explore the 4-billion-year history of life on Earth through an engaging idle game. Learn about ancient creatures and human culture while restoring biological forms and unlocking evolutionary mysteries. Experience a blend of casual gameplay and educational content.

**Highlights:** Casual idle gameplay, Popular science education, Biological restoration, Intellectual equipment technology, Unlock mysteries of life, Experience life evolution

**In-app purchases (22)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| VIP | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Diamond X100 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Limit Gift 01 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Sea.sale1 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Energy output Permanent x2 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Silver Passport | $3.99 | one-time |
| Speed Gift 2 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Limit Gift 6 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Limit Gift 04 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Sealimit.gift1 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Humanlimit.gift1 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Diamond X300 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Valued package | $5.99 | one-time |
| DNA output Permanent x2 | $5.99 | one-time |
| Sea.sale2 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Human.sale2 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Diamond X675 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Life Tree Gift 2 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Special golden passport | $11.99 | one-time |
| Golden Passport | $19.99 | one-time |
| Diamond X1500 | $19.99 | one-time |
| Sea.sale3 | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and educational game
- 🚀 Engaging gameplay
- 💡 Interesting prehistoric creatures
- 👍 Informative and accurate content
- 💡 Rewards for answering questions instead of ads

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- 🔍 Unclear instructions
- 🔍 Confusing UI
- 🔍 Inaccurate creature descriptions
- 🔍 Slow progress after a certain point

**Reported bugs**

- Game not loading or crashing
- Incorrect resource deduction when purchasing items
- Ads not closing properly
- Saved progress not syncing across devices

**Requested features**

- More dinosaur and prehistoric creature models
- Improved tutorial and onboarding
- Ability to reset progress and start over
- More advanced gameplay modes
- Optimization for larger screens


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Phage Invaders free?

Phage Invaders is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Idle evolution free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Phage Invaders or Idle evolution?

Idle evolution is rated higher. Phage Invaders averages 4.0 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while Idle evolution averages 4.6 from 5.9K ratings.

### Do Phage Invaders or Idle evolution have ads?

Idle evolution shows ads; Phage Invaders does not.

### Which is updated more often, Phage Invaders or Idle evolution?

Phage Invaders ships an update every 4 days, and Idle evolution every 2 months. Most recently, Phage Invaders was updated on October 24, 2026 and Idle evolution 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.*