# Pet Idle vs Pets Parent

The clearest difference is rating: Pets Parent at 5.0 against Pet Idle's 4.5. Pets Parent also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 12) and update cadence (daily vs monthly). Pet Idle's advantage is ratings volume (1.2K vs 4). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pet Idle sells 12 one-off in-app purchases. Pets Parent asks for nothing beyond the download.

Pets Parent holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pet Idle has 1.2K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of Pet Idle's written reviews are positive against 100% of Pets Parent's.

Pet Idle ships an update monthly, Pets Parent daily. The most recent releases landed on August 15, 2026 and June 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pet Idle | Pets Parent |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pet-idle/id1484697185/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pets-parent/id1608951155/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.2K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 75.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 178 MB | 153 MB |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 | 11.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [SPL GAMES LTDA](https://appshunter.io/developer/1648375537) | [Gtap Studio Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1607673189) |

## What reviewers say

### Pet Idle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pet-idle/id1484697185)

Care for virtual dogs and cats in this life simulation game. Manage their needs, teach them tricks, and expand their home. The happier your pets, the more you earn.

**Highlights:** Virtual pet care system, House building and decoration, Teach pets tricks, Multiple pet breeds, Unique pet personalities, Robots and drones for assistance

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 20.000 Coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| 15.000 Energy | $0.99 | one-time |
| 100 Gems | $0.99 | one-time |
| 100.000 Coins | $3.99 | one-time |
| 75.000 Energy | $3.99 | one-time |
| 500 Gems | $3.99 | one-time |
| Cat Lover's Bundle | $3.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Dog Lover's Bundle | $7.99 | one-time |
| Legendary Pets Bundle | $11.99 | one-time |
| Fortune Pack | $24.99 | one-time |
| Max Pack | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🐶 Cute pets
- 🕹️ Fun and addictive gameplay
- 🏠 Customizable home
- 🤖 Helpful automated drones
- 🎨 Adorable graphics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive pets and items
- 🔍 Difficult to progress without spending money
- 🔁 Repetitive tasks
- 🛑 Glitches and bugs after updates
- 🔊 Annoying ads

**Reported bugs**

- Game freezes and becomes unplayable after receiving the panda pet
- Pets' needs and stats get stuck in an unresponsive state
- Drones and automated features stop working properly
- Game resets progress after updates or device changes

**Requested features**

- Add more pet breeds
- Implement a pet breeding feature
- Allow moving and rotating furniture
- Add a litter box or way to clean up pet messes
- Improve the daily reward system


### Pets Parent

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pets-parent/id1608951155)

Manage and grow a city dedicated to pet care. Feed, entertain, and provide rest for various animals like cats and dogs. Sell mature pets to earn profits and expand your pet empire.

**Highlights:** Pet care simulation, City building, Idle arcade gameplay, Multiple pet types, Pet growth and selling, Resource management

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pet Idle free?

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

### Is Pets Parent free?

Pets Parent is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Pet Idle or Pets Parent?

Pets Parent is rated higher. Pet Idle averages 4.5 out of 5 from 1.2K ratings, while Pets Parent averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Pet Idle or Pets Parent have ads?

Both Pet Idle and Pets Parent show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pet Idle or Pets Parent?

Pet Idle ships an update monthly, and Pets Parent daily. Most recently, Pet Idle was updated on August 15, 2026 and Pets Parent on June 6, 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.*