# ProgressBar95 vs Exponential Idle

The clearest difference is update cadence: Exponential Idle at every 3 weeks against ProgressBar95's every 2 months. Exponential Idle also leads on iOS requirement (8.0 vs 12.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ProgressBar95 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.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for ProgressBar95 against 4.9 for Exponential Idle. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3K and 4.1K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 93% of ProgressBar95's written reviews are positive against 92% of Exponential Idle's.

ProgressBar95 ships an update every 2 months, Exponential Idle every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | ProgressBar95 | Exponential Idle |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/progressbar95-retro-arcade/id1474374114/reviews) | **[4.9 (4.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/exponential-idle/id1538487382/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 3K | **4.1K** |
| Positive reviews | **92.9% of reviews** | 91.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 222 MB | 95 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | **8.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Spooky House Studios UG (haftungsbeschraenkt)](https://appshunter.io/developer/376098163) | [Gilles-Philippe Paille](https://appshunter.io/developer/1538487384) |

## What reviewers say

### ProgressBar95

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/progressbar95-retro-arcade/id1474374114)

Experience a nostalgic hyper-casual game with retro arcade visuals. Fill the progress bar by moving it with one finger to win. This addictive time killer offers simple controls and endless gameplay.

**Highlights:** Nostalgic retro visuals, One-finger control, Fill the progress bar to win, Addictive gameplay, Endless gameplay, Retro sound effects

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |
| 10 Product keys | $1.99 | one-time |
| Progressbar 1 | $2.99 | one-time |
| PB-DOS Shell skin | $2.99 | one-time |
| Bar OS System 2,3 pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| 25 Product keys | $3.99 | one-time |
| 50 Product keys | $6.99 | one-time |
| 100 Product keys | $11.99 | one-time |
| 250 Product keys | $24.99 | one-time |
| Unlock ALL | $25.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Nostalgic and fun
- 🚀 Addictive gameplay
- 💡 Unique concept
- 👍 Charming retro aesthetics
- 👍 Decent monetization model

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔋 Ads can be intrusive
- 💰 Some content locked behind paywall
- 🕰️ Progression can feel grindy at times

**Reported bugs**

- Restore purchases not working properly
- Progressbar 98 and XB not loading correctly
- Bin cleaning functionality not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Add more operating systems and game modes
- Implement cloud save and cross-device sync
- Improve audio and music integration
- Add more customization options
- Optimize performance on older devices


### 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 ProgressBar95 free?

ProgressBar95 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, ProgressBar95 or Exponential Idle?

Exponential Idle is rated higher. ProgressBar95 averages 4.8 out of 5 from 3K ratings, while Exponential Idle averages 4.9 from 4.1K ratings.

### Do ProgressBar95 or Exponential Idle have ads?

Both ProgressBar95 and Exponential Idle show ads.

### Which is updated more often, ProgressBar95 or Exponential Idle?

ProgressBar95 ships an update every 2 months, and Exponential Idle every 3 weeks. Most recently, ProgressBar95 was updated on November 3, 2026 and Exponential 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.*