# Pixel Pets vs Pixel Pets

The clearest difference is monetization model: Pixel Pets at free with in-app purchases against Pixel Pets's subscription. Pixel Pets's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pixel Pets sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Pixel Pets sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Pixel Pets holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 152 and 142 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 74% of Pixel Pets's written reviews are positive against 80% of Pixel Pets's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pixel Pets | Pixel Pets |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (152 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-pets-homescreen-widget/id1660283848/reviews)** | [4.2 (142 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-pets-widgets-and-island/id6450454965/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **152** | 142 |
| Positive reviews | 73.7% of reviews | **79.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 59 MB | 126 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [PassiFlora Technologies](https://appshunter.io/developer/1586581422) | [SoCloud Technology Co., Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1517288550) |

## What reviewers say

### Pixel Pets

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-pets-homescreen-widget/id1660283848)

Bring your home and lock screens to life with animated pixel pets. These adorable companions will move, play, and interact with you, making your device more fun and lively. Customize their backgrounds and care for them to strengthen your bond.

**Highlights:** Animated pets on home/lock screen, Interactive pet activities (ball, wand), Pet care (feeding, cleaning), Customizable widget backgrounds, Variety of pet types, Bond system with heart progression

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $9.99 | per year |
| Life Time | $48.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Cute pets
- 📱 Customizable home screen widgets
- 🎨 Ability to interact with pets
- 🤗 Teaches kids responsibility

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Limited free pets, need to pay for more
- ⏱️ Waiting time between pet interactions
- 🔍 Difficulty finding/adding pets to home screen

**Reported bugs**

- Pet disappearing when leaving the app
- Crashes or freezes on some devices

**Requested features**

- More free pet options
- Ability to customize pet appearance
- Live events or activities for pets
- Compatibility with older devices


### Pixel Pets

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-pets-widgets-and-island/id6450454965)

Add adorable virtual companions to your phone's home screen and widgets. Interact with your pets by feeding and playing with them, even on your Apple Watch. Enjoy their constant presence and brighten your device's display.

**Highlights:** Live pets on home screen, Widgets for interaction, Standby mode integration, Feed and play with pets, Apple Watch compatibility

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| One Week Subscription | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Yearly | $17.99 | per year |
| One Year Subscription | $19.99 | per year |
| One-time | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 😍 Cute and adorable pet designs
- 🎮 Fun and engaging gameplay
- 🏠 Great widget/home screen feature
- ⏱️ Easy to use and accessible
- 🐰 Free bunny pet available

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Excessive in-app purchase costs
- 🔐 Paywall blocks most content
- ⏳ Long egg hatching times
- 😤 Aggressive monetization tactics
- 📱 Limited free features (only 1 pet, 1 toy, 1 food)

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes on in-app purchase screen
- Home screen widget compatibility issues
- Inconsistent free content availability

**Requested features**

- Free or discounted additional pet options
- Alternative ways to earn diamonds without paying
- Ad-watching option to unlock features
- More free items and gameplay variety
- Reduced subscription pricing


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pixel Pets free?

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

### Is Pixel Pets free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pixel Pets or Pixel Pets?

Pixel Pets is rated higher. Pixel Pets averages 4.4 out of 5 from 152 ratings, while Pixel Pets averages 4.2 from 142 ratings.

### Do Pixel Pets or Pixel Pets have ads?

Pixel Pets shows ads; Pixel Pets does not.

### Which is updated more often, Pixel Pets or Pixel Pets?

Pixel Pets ships an update every 2 weeks, and Pixel Pets every 2 weeks. Most recently, Pixel Pets was updated on October 24, 2026 and Pixel Pets on October 21, 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.*