# Exponential Idle vs Idle Chest

The clearest difference is rating: Exponential Idle at 4.9 against Idle Chest's 4.5. Exponential Idle also leads on ratings volume (4.1K vs 109) and review sentiment (92% vs 81%). Idle Chest's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Exponential Idle sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Idle Chest sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Exponential Idle holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Exponential Idle has 4.1K ratings behind it against 109, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 92% of Exponential Idle's written reviews are positive against 81% of Idle Chest's.

Exponential Idle ships an update every 3 weeks, Idle Chest every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Exponential Idle | Idle Chest |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (4.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/exponential-idle/id1538487382/reviews)** | [4.5 (109 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-chest/id6744372975/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **4.1K** | 109 |
| Positive reviews | **91.9% of reviews** | 80.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 95 MB | 192 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Gilles-Philippe Paille](https://appshunter.io/developer/1538487384) | [Thomas Gunzburger](https://appshunter.io/developer/1807389356) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Idle Chest

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-chest/id6744372975)

Embark on a treasure-hunting adventure where every click earns rewards. Upgrade your skills, collect and enhance equipment, and unlock unique abilities. Discover the secrets of this world through engaging gameplay and an addictive incremental experience.

**Highlights:** Open various chests, Loot and upgrade equipment, Buy skill upgrades, Unlock unique skills, Discover game story

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Underwater Background Skin | $3.99 | one-time |
| Underwater Chests Skin | $3.99 | one-time |
| Underwater Acolytes Skin | $3.99 | one-time |
| No Ads | $3.99 | one-time |
| Underwater Complete Skins Pack | $8.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun short idle clicker
- 👍 Consistent theme
- 👍 Enjoyable experience
- 👍 Minimalistic but rewarding grind
- 💰 Non-intrusive ads

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Game breaking bug with 'Chosen One' minion
- 🔍 Difficult to compare tap damage to acolyte damage
- 🔍 Some explanations could be improved
- 🔍 Slightly linear progression

**Reported bugs**

- Progress resets or reverts
- Minions not working after equipping 'Chosen One'

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Better UI for comparing damage sources


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Exponential Idle free?

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

### Is Idle Chest free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Exponential Idle or Idle Chest?

Exponential Idle is rated higher. Exponential Idle averages 4.9 out of 5 from 4.1K ratings, while Idle Chest averages 4.5 from 109 ratings.

### Do Exponential Idle or Idle Chest have ads?

Both Exponential Idle and Idle Chest show ads.

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

Exponential Idle ships an update every 3 weeks, and Idle Chest every 10 days. Most recently, Exponential Idle was updated on October 29, 2026 and Idle Chest on October 30, 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.*