# Grimoire Incremental vs Magic Research

The clearest difference is price: Grimoire Incremental at Free against Magic Research's $3.99. Magic Research's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On rating, ratings volume, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Grimoire Incremental is free to download; Magic Research costs $3.99 up front. Grimoire Incremental sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Magic Research asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Grimoire Incremental against 4.7 for Magic Research. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 544 and 188 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 87% of Grimoire Incremental's written reviews are positive against 95% of Magic Research's.

Grimoire Incremental ships an update every 3 months, Magic Research every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Grimoire Incremental | Magic Research |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $3.99 |
| Rating | **[4.8 (544 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/grimoire-incremental/id1618966147/reviews)** | [4.7 (188 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-research/id1671272877/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **544** | 188 |
| Positive reviews | 86.9% of reviews | **95.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#148** |
| Size | 70 MB | 25 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Graham Goldstein](https://appshunter.io/developer/1618966149) | [Matias Ezequiel Colotto](https://appshunter.io/developer/1669682477) |

## What reviewers say

### Grimoire Incremental

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/grimoire-incremental/id1618966147)

Engage in a narrative-driven idle or clicker game where your choices shape society and unlock new mechanics. Progress through runs and prestiges with non-formulaic gameplay and optional ads.

**Highlights:** Non-formulaic gameplay, Branching narrative choices, Idle and clicker mechanics, Unlockable mechanics, Opt-in ads for bonuses, Single in-app purchase option

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Advertisements | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great game
- 👍 Simplicity and minimalism
- 👍 Non-intrusive ads
- 👍 Engaging gameplay
- 👍 Rewarding progression

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes
- 🐛 Slow progress in late game
- 🐛 Imbalanced builds
- 🐛 Lack of content variety

**Reported bugs**

- Progress loss on crash
- Compatibility issues on older devices

**Requested features**

- More content and updates
- Better late-game balance
- Detailed progression tracking
- Story expansion


### Magic Research

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-research/id1671272877)

**Currently charting:** #148 Top Paid · Simulation (US App Store)

Lead a new magic institution to discover the secrets of magic and achieve fame. Research spells, build your campus, manage staff, and uncover hidden storylines to win the Tournament of Magic. Enjoy a complete game experience with no ads.

**Highlights:** Cast over 100 spells, Research magic in various schools, Build and manage campus, Manage researchers and apprentices, Discover hidden features and storylines, Retirement bonuses for faster progress

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great idle/incremental game
- 💡 Deep and complex systems
- 🚀 Well-paced progression
- 💰 Worth the price
- ✨ No ads or microtransactions

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 UI layout issues
- 🐌 Can be grindy
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🐛 Text running off page/scrolling issues
- 🐛 Wood resource bug

**Reported bugs**

- On new iPhones, switching away and back causes UI unresponsiveness
- Text running off the page, preventing interaction with buttons
- Wood resource counting backwards
- Becoming stunned for a full minute, unable to act
- Bosses running away from fights

**Requested features**

- Add background music
- Add Chinese language support
- Make monsters pixelated
- Adjustable times for apprentice auto-casting
- Display monstium collection counter during exploration


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Grimoire Incremental free?

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

### Is Magic Research free?

Magic Research costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Grimoire Incremental or Magic Research?

Grimoire Incremental is rated higher. Grimoire Incremental averages 4.8 out of 5 from 544 ratings, while Magic Research averages 4.7 from 188 ratings.

### Do Grimoire Incremental or Magic Research have ads?

Grimoire Incremental shows ads; Magic Research does not.

### Which is updated more often, Grimoire Incremental or Magic Research?

Grimoire Incremental ships an update every 3 months, and Magic Research every 4 days. Most recently, Grimoire Incremental was updated on September 19, 2026 and Magic Research on September 22, 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.*