# Eterna vs Strange Horticulture

The clearest difference is price: Eterna at Free against Strange Horticulture's $5.99. Eterna also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). Strange Horticulture's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 3.7) and review sentiment (75% vs 33%). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Eterna is free to download; Strange Horticulture costs $5.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Strange Horticulture holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Strange Horticulture has 1.5K ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 33% of Eterna's written reviews are positive against 75% of Strange Horticulture's.

Eterna ships an update every 3 weeks, Strange Horticulture weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Eterna | Strange Horticulture |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $5.99 |
| Rating | [3.7 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/eterna/id1513216417/reviews) | **[4.9 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/strange-horticulture/id6450008138/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 15 | **1.5K** |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | **75.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Best chart rank | — | **#57** |
| Size | 188 MB | 522 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Vital Mind Media](https://appshunter.io/developer/1513216416) | [Plug In Digital](https://appshunter.io/developer/608306412) |

## What reviewers say

### Eterna

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/eterna/id1513216417)

Engage in a citizen science game to design RNA molecules for medical research. Solve puzzles to unlock lab access and contribute to inventing new medicines through challenges.

**Highlights:** Design RNA molecules, Solve scientific puzzles, Participate in medical research, Invent new medicines, Unlock lab access

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Strange Horticulture

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/strange-horticulture/id6450008138)

**Currently charting:** #57 Top Paid · Puzzle, #86 Top Paid · Adventure (US App Store)

Manage an occult plant store in a mysterious town. Discover and identify strange plants, using their unique properties to influence an unfolding narrative. Explore the surrounding lands to find new flora and unravel ancient secrets.

**Highlights:** Manage an occult plant store, Discover and identify strange plants, Use plant effects to influence story, Explore surrounding lands, Unravel dark mysteries, Pet your cat

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Cozy and relaxing gameplay
- 🧠 Clever and engaging puzzles
- 🎨 Lovely art style and graphics
- 📚 Interesting and well-written story
- 🕹️ Unique and novel gameplay mechanics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and glitches (viewing device issues, plant movement problems)
- 🔋 Battery drain and overheating issues
- 📱 Suboptimal mobile experience (small text, lack of Apple Pencil support)
- 🕰️ Short playtime, not much replayability

**Reported bugs**

- Viewing device bug preventing progress
- Plants getting stuck and unable to be moved
- Crashes and freezes on certain devices

**Requested features**

- More content and expanded gameplay
- Shelf/storage option for plants
- Improved mobile optimization (larger text, better controls)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Eterna free?

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

### Is Strange Horticulture free?

Strange Horticulture costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Eterna or Strange Horticulture?

Strange Horticulture is rated higher. Eterna averages 3.7 out of 5 from 15 ratings, while Strange Horticulture averages 4.9 from 1.5K ratings.

### Do Eterna or Strange Horticulture have ads?

Neither Eterna nor Strange Horticulture shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Eterna or Strange Horticulture?

Eterna ships an update every 3 weeks, and Strange Horticulture weekly. Most recently, Eterna was updated on November 3, 2026 and Strange Horticulture 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.*