# Aureole Island vs POOLS™

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Aureole Island at none against POOLS™'s 1. Aureole Island also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and review sentiment (100% vs 80%). POOLS™'s advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (1.7K vs 1). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. POOLS™ sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Aureole Island asks for nothing beyond the download.

Aureole Island holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: POOLS™ has 1.7K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Aureole Island's written reviews are positive against 80% of POOLS™'s.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Aureole Island | POOLS™ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aureole-island/id1497094553/reviews)** | [4.5 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pools/id6670792878/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **1.7K** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 79.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Monthly |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 208 MB | 1.9 GB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [德军 朱](https://appshunter.io/developer/635191375) | [Tensori](https://appshunter.io/developer/1767614989) |

## What reviewers say

### Aureole Island

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aureole-island/id1497094553)

Embark on a serene exploration of vast prairie islands, encountering wildlife and spiritual echoes. This experimental game offers a peaceful, aimless journey for introspection and meditation.

**Highlights:** Explore vast prairie islands, Encounter animals and souls, Meditate for serenity, Experience spiritual echoes, Aimless journey gameplay

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### POOLS™

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pools/id6670792878)

This app offers a slow, reflective, and immersive experience focused on exploration and atmosphere. It evokes feelings of unease and curiosity through its unique environments, inspired by liminal spaces and internet phenomena. Discover changing worlds and subtle narratives without traditional gameplay mechanics.

**Highlights:** Slow, reflective exploration, Atmospheric and immersive environments, Inspired by liminal spaces, Unfolding narrative through exploration, Six distinct chapters, Unique sound design

**Features:** Game Controller support, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| POOLS: Full Game | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Immersive experience
- 🔒 No ads
- 👍 Incredible attention to detail
- 👍 Realistic graphics and sound
- 👍 Eerie and creepy atmosphere

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Boring after a while
- 🐛 Lack of variety in environments

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to move on iPad Pro
- Glitches reported

**Requested features**

- Expand to different Backrooms-inspired themes
- Add a multiplayer mode
- Introduce more interactive elements (e.g., monsters, items to discover)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Aureole Island free?

Aureole Island is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is POOLS™ free?

POOLS™ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Aureole Island or POOLS™?

Aureole Island is rated higher. Aureole Island averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while POOLS™ averages 4.5 from 1.7K ratings.

### Do Aureole Island or POOLS™ have ads?

Aureole Island shows ads; POOLS™ does not.

### Which is updated more often, Aureole Island or POOLS™?

Aureole Island ships an update monthly, and POOLS™ monthly. Most recently, Aureole Island was updated on October 24, 2026 and POOLS™ 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.*