# Virtual Cities vs Idle Pickaxe Master

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Virtual Cities at 100% against Idle Pickaxe Master's 0%. Virtual Cities also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ads (none vs shown). Idle Pickaxe Master's advantage is rating (4.6 vs 3.0) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 months). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Idle Pickaxe Master sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Virtual Cities asks for nothing beyond the download.

Idle Pickaxe Master holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Idle Pickaxe Master has 15 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of Virtual Cities's written reviews are positive against 0% of Idle Pickaxe Master's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Virtual Cities ships an update every 5 months, Idle Pickaxe Master fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Virtual Cities | Idle Pickaxe Master |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtual-cities/id1472346592/reviews) | **[4.6 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-pickaxe-master/id6803172457/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **15** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 88 MB | 428 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Serious Games Interactive](https://appshunter.io/developer/404744148) | [Freeplay LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1232320673) |

## What reviewers say

### Virtual Cities

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtual-cities/id1472346592)

A game designed for students to learn about the circular economy. Players manage cities, making them more circular by implementing projects and understanding economic principles. It aims to educate on strategies for increasing global circularity.

**Highlights:** Circular economy simulation, Resource management, City building, Educational gameplay, Multiplayer mode

**In-app purchases:** none


### Idle Pickaxe Master

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-pickaxe-master/id6803172457)

Merge pickaxes to create powerful tools for mining ore deposits. Recruit miner helpers with unique abilities and battle bosses to unlock new depths and rewards. Upgrade your tools and progress further into the mine.

**Highlights:** Merge pickaxes of different rarities, Battle powerful bosses, Recruit unique miner helpers, Upgrade tools and progress, Mine rich ore deposits

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Showel Help Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Super Manager | $4.99 | one-time |
| Dungeon Keys | $4.99 | one-time |
| VIP | $7.99 | one-time |
| Weekly Pack I | $8.99 | one-time |
| No Ads | $9.99 | one-time |
| No Rewarded Ads | $14.99 | one-time |
| Weekly Pack II | $17.99 | one-time |
| Weekly Pack III | $49.99 | one-time |
| Weekly Pack IV | $99.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Virtual Cities free?

Virtual Cities is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Idle Pickaxe Master free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Virtual Cities or Idle Pickaxe Master?

Idle Pickaxe Master is rated higher. Virtual Cities averages 3.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Idle Pickaxe Master averages 4.6 from 15 ratings.

### Do Virtual Cities or Idle Pickaxe Master have ads?

Idle Pickaxe Master shows ads; Virtual Cities does not.

### Which is updated more often, Virtual Cities or Idle Pickaxe Master?

Virtual Cities ships an update every 5 months, and Idle Pickaxe Master fortnightly. Most recently, Virtual Cities was updated on November 3, 2026 and Idle Pickaxe Master on November 10, 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.*