# Magic Research vs Magic Research 2

Magic Research and Magic Research 2 both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 95% of Magic Research's written reviews are positive against 82% of Magic Research 2's. Magic Research 2's advantage is chart position (#13 vs #114) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Magic Research costs $3.99 and Magic Research 2 $4.69 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Magic Research against 4.8 for Magic Research 2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 188 and 115 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 95% of Magic Research's written reviews are positive against 82% of Magic Research 2's.

Magic Research ships an update every 4 days, Magic Research 2 every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Magic Research | Magic Research 2 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$3.99** | $4.69 |
| Rating | [4.7 (188 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-research/id1671272877/reviews) | **[4.8 (115 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-research-2/id6478566840/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **188** | 115 |
| Positive reviews | **95.1% of reviews** | 82.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #114 | **#13** |
| Size | 25 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Matias Ezequiel Colotto](https://appshunter.io/developer/1669682477) | [Matias Ezequiel Colotto](https://appshunter.io/developer/1669682477) |

## What reviewers say

### Magic Research

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

**Currently charting:** #114 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


### Magic Research 2

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-research-2/id6478566840)

**Currently charting:** #13 Top Paid · Role Playing, #48 Top Paid · Simulation, #126 Top Paid · Games, #197 Top Paid (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- DLC or sequel news
- macOS version
- Better automation and convenience features
- Tweak familiar search time down
- Release the next one


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Magic Research free?

Magic Research costs $3.99, 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, Magic Research or Magic Research 2?

Magic Research 2 is rated higher. Magic Research averages 4.7 out of 5 from 188 ratings, while Magic Research 2 averages 4.8 from 115 ratings.

### Do Magic Research or Magic Research 2 have ads?

Neither Magic Research nor Magic Research 2 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Magic Research or Magic Research 2?

Magic Research ships an update every 4 days, and Magic Research 2 every 3 days. Most recently, Magic Research was updated on September 26, 2026 and Magic Research 2 on September 24, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Magic Research or Magic Research 2?

Magic Research currently peaks at #114 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*