# Game Developer Tycoon vs buckets

The clearest difference is ads: buckets at none against Game Developer Tycoon's shown. buckets also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 11 months). Game Developer Tycoon's advantage is review sentiment (83% vs 50%) and ratings volume (44 vs 3). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Game Developer Tycoon sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and buckets sells 10 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 — 4.6 for Game Developer Tycoon against 4.7 for buckets. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Game Developer Tycoon has 44 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 83% of Game Developer Tycoon's written reviews are positive against 50% of buckets's.

Game Developer Tycoon ships an update every 11 months, buckets every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Game Developer Tycoon | buckets |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (44 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/game-developer-tycoon/id1513785897/reviews) | **[4.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buckets-3d-basketball/id6793218340/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **44** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | **83.3% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 149 MB | 17 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [HENN Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/734265844) | [Hummus Development](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896667818) |

## What reviewers say

### Game Developer Tycoon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/game-developer-tycoon/id1513785897)

Simulate the life of a game developer, from choosing themes and composing to earning money and building a luxurious home. Aim to become a popular game developer by creating hit games.

**Highlights:** Theme selection, Game composition, Earning money, Building a luxurious home, Becoming a popular developer

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 20 diamonds | $0.99 | one-time |
| 90 diamonds | $3.99 | one-time |
| 200 diamonds | $7.99 | one-time |
| 550 diamonds | $19.99 | one-time |
| 1200 diamonds | $39.99 | one-time |


### buckets

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buckets-3d-basketball/id6793218340)

Experience a fun and unique 3D basketball game with intuitive flick-to-shoot controls. Master dribbling, defense, and dunking across various game modes, including a story-driven campaign and endless arcade challenges. Unlock rewards and customize your experience.

**Highlights:** Flick-to-shoot controls, Campaign mode with cutscenes, Arcade endless survival, 1v1 gameplay, Defense mode, Over 40 minigames, Daily rewards and quests

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Ad-Skip | $0.99 | one-time |
| 10 Tokens | $0.99 | one-time |
| 100 Buckets | $0.99 | one-time |
| 25 Tokens | $1.99 | one-time |
| 5 Ad-Skips | $4.99 | one-time |
| 80 Tokens | $5.99 | one-time |
| 1,600 Buckets | $9.99 | one-time |
| 10 Ad-Skips | $10.99 | one-time |
| 200 Tokens | $13.99 | one-time |
| 3,400 Buckets | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Game Developer Tycoon free?

Game Developer Tycoon is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is buckets free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Game Developer Tycoon or buckets?

buckets is rated higher. Game Developer Tycoon averages 4.6 out of 5 from 44 ratings, while buckets averages 4.7 from 3 ratings.

### Do Game Developer Tycoon or buckets have ads?

Game Developer Tycoon shows ads; buckets does not.

### Which is updated more often, Game Developer Tycoon or buckets?

Game Developer Tycoon ships an update every 11 months, and buckets every 2 days. Most recently, Game Developer Tycoon was updated on October 24, 2026 and buckets on October 23, 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.*