# Zen Idle vs Exponential Idle

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Exponential Idle at 92% against Zen Idle's 55%. Exponential Idle also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.6) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). Zen Idle's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Zen Idle sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Exponential Idle sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Exponential Idle holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.9K and 4.2K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of Zen Idle's written reviews are positive against 92% of Exponential Idle's.

Zen Idle ships an update every 10 days, Exponential Idle every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Zen Idle | Exponential Idle |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (2.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zen-idle-gravity-meditation/id1466633809/reviews) | **[4.9 (4.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/exponential-idle/id1538487382/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2.9K | **4.2K** |
| Positive reviews | 54.6% of reviews | **91.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 117 MB | 95 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **8.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tech Tree Games LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1175843955) | [Gilles-Philippe Paille](https://appshunter.io/developer/1538487384) |

## What reviewers say

### Zen Idle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zen-idle-gravity-meditation/id1466633809)

Engage in a relaxing physics-based puzzle game where you can choose to play actively or passively. Upgrade your game elements, collect powerful cards, and strategize to maximize your progress. Earn idle income even when you're away.

**Highlights:** Upgrade balls and stages, Collectible cards for bonuses, Evolving perk system, Prestige system for bonuses, Strategic card and perk combinations, Idle income generation

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Gem Pack 1 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $9.99 | one-time |
| Gem Pack 2 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Gem Pack 3 | $19.99 | one-time |
| Epic Pack | $29.99 | one-time |
| Gem Pack 4 | $29.99 | one-time |
| Card Pack 1 | $29.99 | one-time |
| Prestige Pack | $29.99 | one-time |
| Gem Pack 5 | $49.99 | one-time |


### Exponential Idle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/exponential-idle/id1538487382)

Engage in a math-inspired incremental game where you strategically stack virtual money through exponential growth. Advance through time, make variable changes, and purchase upgrades to accelerate your earnings and unlock achievements.

**Highlights:** Exponential growth mechanics, Time progression, Change of variables, Buy upgrades, Earn virtual money, Unlock achievements

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Donate | $0.99 | one-time |
| Permanent Ad Reward | $1.99 | one-time |
| Donate | $1.99 | one-time |
| Donate | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great and addicting game
- 👍 Interesting story and educational
- 👍 Numbers go big
- 👍 User-friendly with good descriptions
- 👍 Highly automated progression

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- ⏱️ Slow progression after initial stages
- 🕹️ Difficult mini-games
- 🔒 Harsh time-change penalty
- 🔋 Potential performance issues on some devices

**Reported bugs**

- Puzzle mini-games not loading correctly
- Offline progress issues after updates
- Occasional app crashes

**Requested features**

- More mini-games and challenges
- Better explanations for advanced mechanics
- Adjustable color schemes and visual customization
- Improved offline progress tracking
- Smoother performance and optimization


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Zen Idle free?

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

### Is Exponential Idle free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Zen Idle or Exponential Idle?

Exponential Idle is rated higher. Zen Idle averages 4.6 out of 5 from 2.9K ratings, while Exponential Idle averages 4.9 from 4.2K ratings.

### Do Zen Idle or Exponential Idle have ads?

Both Zen Idle and Exponential Idle show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Zen Idle or Exponential Idle?

Zen Idle ships an update every 10 days, and Exponential Idle every 3 weeks. Most recently, Zen Idle was updated on November 3, 2026 and Exponential Idle on November 7, 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.*