Comparison

Idle Acorns vs Magic Research 2

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Idle Acorns

A classic idle clicker game with a charming narrative. Explore diverse environments, gather resources, craft items, and play mini-games. Enjoy a pure, ad-free experience with no in-app purchases or data mining.

Highlights
  • Resource gathering and upgrades
  • Crafting over 24 items
  • Fishing and cooking mini-game
  • Gardening and tree growing
  • Campfire for inviting characters
  • iCloud backup support
  • Game Center integration
Features
Read full description

Inspired by the classics, Idle Acorns is a fun mobile clicker game that features no advertisements, no in-app purchases, and no data-mining. Inspired by the clicker games of the old internet, Idle Acorns brings a fun narrative to the mobile clicker arena but without getting weighed down by advertisements, in-app purchases or data mining. Explore the forest and ocean with Benny the squirrel and enjoy everything from fishing, to gardening. Unlock the campfire to invite new characters, collect resources, and craft items. Featuring 4 mini-games, iCloud backup support, Game Center support, iMessage sticker pack, and more! Like classic Idle games, Idle Acorns respects time travel. Please note that time travel will disable Game Center features. Shake the tree to gather acorns. Purchase upgrades and enlist scavengers to collect acorns while you are away! Sell your acorns, and unlock new areas in the shop. Speak with Benny the squirrel to navigate your adventure. Cast your line, and catch fish in the ocean. Open the map to visit your acres of land, or upgrade your offline collection. Unlock the campfire and invite all new characters. Trade resources and buy recipes to craft over 24 new items. - Forge diamonds and buy upgrades - Go fishing and cook fish - Buy land and grow trees - Unlock the campfire and trade resources - Buy recipes and craft items - 4 Mini-Games - Share resources with friends - Lots of character dialogue - Seasonal events - iCloud backup support - Game Center leaderboards and achievements - iMessage sticker pack IMPORTANT: iPhone SE (2016 First Generation) and iPod touch are not supported.

About

Magic Research 2

Embark on a magical quest as a rookie wizard to find or create the Philosopher's Stone. Utilize over 120 spells, transmute hundreds of items, and lead a team of wizards in a semi-automated combat system. Explore dozens of areas, uncover secrets, and experience over 60 hours of gameplay.

Highlights
  • Over 120 distinct spells
  • Transmute over 250 items
  • Control a team of wizards
  • Semi-automated combat system
  • Explore dozens of areas
  • Discover secrets and storylines
  • Retirement bonuses for faster progress
Features
Read full description

Experience the long-awaited sequel to Magic Research! In Magic Research 2, you are a rookie wizard with a single ambition: to find or create the Philosopher's Stone, a legendary magical item that is said to be able to cure any illness. As you do so, you will learn more than you ever imagined about Magic and about the world around you. What kinds of adventures await you? * Use your arsenal of more than 120 distinct spells to make progress * Study the Elements! Learn new ways to use Magic in your path to mastery * Transmute (magically craft) over 250 different items to help you on your journey * Control a team of Wizards that will cast Spells for you * Enjoy a deep, semi-automated combat system as you make your way through dozens of areas to explore * Discover tons of secrets - many of which will change the way you play the game! * Encounter over a hundred distinct Storylines with powerful bonuses along your journey * Restart the game and make progress faster each time with retirement bonuses * Over 60 hours of addictive gameplay - with a clear ending! (Or perhaps more than one...?) * Optimized both for phones and tablet devices You do not need to have played Magic Research in order to enjoy Magic Research 2!

Screenshots

Idle Acorns4 screens
Magic Research 24 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Magic Research 2 at every 3 days against Idle Acorns's every 6 weeks. Magic Research 2 also leads on review sentiment (82% vs 60%) and chart position (#13 vs #89). Idle Acorns's advantage is ratings volume (1.2K vs 115) and price ($1.99 vs $4.69). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Idle Acorns costs $1.99 and Magic Research 2 $4.69 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Idle Acorns against 4.8 for Magic Research 2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Idle Acorns has 1.2K ratings behind it against 115, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 60% of Idle Acorns's written reviews are positive against 82% of Magic Research 2's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Idle Acorns ships an update every 6 weeks, Magic Research 2 every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Idle Acorns versus Magic Research 2: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterIdle AcornsMagic Research 2
Price$1.99 — better$4.69
Rating4.8 (1.2K ratings)4.8 (115 ratings)
Positive reviews60.2% of reviews82.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.2K — better115
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
Best chart rank#89#13 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.113.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size149 MB36 MB
Age rating4+12+
Developeraleros.io LLCMatias Ezequiel Colotto

Customer experience

Idle Acorns

All ratings1,216 ratings
Positive94.9%
Neutral1.5%
Negative3.6%
Written reviews108 reviews
Positive60.2%
Neutral10.2%
Negative29.6%

Magic Research 2

All ratings115 ratings
Positive92.2%
Neutral4.3%
Negative3.5%
Written reviews56 reviews
Positive82.1%
Neutral8.9%
Negative8.9%

User reviews

Idle Acorns

From 1.2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Charming and relaxing
  • 👍 No ads or in-app purchases
  • 🎨 Pleasant aesthetics
  • 🕹️ Satisfying gameplay loop
  • 💰 Good value for money

Room to improve

  • ⏱️ Slow progression and pacing
  • 🔍 Unclear mechanics and lack of explanation
  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches
  • 🔌 Limited offline progress
  • 🔢 Inconsistent upgrade costs

Magic Research 2

From 115 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fantastic sequel, better than the first
  • 👍 Incredible sense of progression
  • 💡 Fun build types, best in genre
  • 👍 Incremental masterclass, gold standard
  • 👍 True semi-idle masterpiece

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Extremely complicated, tedious timers
  • 🐛 UI is absolutely atrocious
  • 🐛 Time pieces cap out at 100k
  • 🐛 UI issues, not easy to navigate
  • 🐛 Sorting doesn't sort exactly as wanted

Bugs and requests

Idle Acorns

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Tree disappearing issue
  • Bat not recognizing feather purchases
  • Zoom and UI issues on certain devices
  • Negative acorn balance after time manipulation

Requested features

5 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • More late-game content
  • Improved UI and navigation
  • Better explanation of game mechanics
  • Increased offline progress

Magic Research 2

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • App instantly crashes on open
  • Game crashes on startup
  • App started rapidly pushing buttons on its own
  • Overheating phone
  • Lags and gets choppy in the late game
Show 1 more
  • Compendium doesn't unlock for bosses unless already beat

Requested features

9 requests
  • DLC or sequel news
  • macOS version
  • Better automation and convenience features
  • Tweak familiar search time down
  • Release the next one
Show 4 more
  • More Please
  • Auto fight boss button
  • Compendium unlocks bosses before beating them
  • Less dialogue and descriptions, more functional text

In-app purchases

None

Idle Acorns

No in-app purchases

None

Magic Research 2

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Idle Acorns free?
Idle Acorns costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Magic Research 2 free?
Magic Research 2 costs $4.69, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Idle Acorns or Magic Research 2?
Idle Acorns and Magic Research 2 are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1.2K and 115 ratings respectively.
Do Idle Acorns or Magic Research 2 have ads?
Neither Idle Acorns nor Magic Research 2 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Idle Acorns or Magic Research 2?
Idle Acorns ships an update every 6 weeks, and Magic Research 2 every 3 days. Most recently, Idle Acorns was updated on September 22, 2026 and Magic Research 2 on September 24, 2026.
Which is more popular, Idle Acorns or Magic Research 2?
Idle Acorns currently peaks at #89 in the App Store charts, and Magic Research 2 at #13. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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