# Magic Research vs Unnamed Space Idle

The clearest difference is price: Unnamed Space Idle at Free against Magic Research's $3.99. Magic Research's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and review sentiment (95% vs 77%). On rating, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Unnamed Space Idle is free to download; Magic Research costs $3.99 up front. Unnamed Space Idle sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Magic Research asks for nothing beyond the download.

Magic Research holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 186 and 243 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 95% of Magic Research's written reviews are positive against 77% of Unnamed Space Idle's.

Magic Research ships an update every 4 days, Unnamed Space Idle every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Magic Research | Unnamed Space Idle |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $3.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.7 (186 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-research/id1671272877/reviews)** | [4.6 (243 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/unnamed-space-idle/id6483933995/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 186 | **243** |
| Positive reviews | **95.1% of reviews** | 77.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 25 MB | 126 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Matias Ezequiel Colotto](https://appshunter.io/developer/1669682477) | [JDOG CORP](https://appshunter.io/developer/1740379476) |

## What reviewers say

### Magic Research

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

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


### Unnamed Space Idle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/unnamed-space-idle/id6483933995)

Engage in an endless sci-fi idle game battling alien waves. Customize your ship with unlockable weapons and defenses, and strategically upgrade various systems to increase your power. Make impactful decisions to counter enemy types and progress through a well-paced unfolding experience.

**Highlights:** Destroy alien waves, Customize ship with weapons/defenses, Unlockable systems and upgrades, Strategic decision-making, Progression and prestige systems, Craft and improve modules

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 200 AI Points | $1.99 | one-time |
| QOL Bundle | $2.49 | one-time |
| Spacemas Bundle | $2.99 | one-time |
| Spaceversary Bundle | $3.99 | one-time |
| Steampunk Cosmetic | $3.99 | one-time |
| 550 AI Points | $4.99 | one-time |
| Essentials Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| 1200 AI Points | $9.99 | one-time |
| Advanced Bundle | $9.99 | one-time |
| 2600 AI Points | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Addictive gameplay
- 👍 Deep and complex mechanics
- 👍 Constantly evolving game
- 👍 Frequent updates
- 👍 Free-to-play friendly

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📱 Tiny UI elements
- 📱 Small font size
- 📱 Unreadable text on mobile
- 📱 UI not optimized for mobile
- 📱 Difficult to interact with buttons

**Reported bugs**

- UI is too small on mobile devices
- Font size is too small, making text unreadable
- Game crashes during fleet auto battles
- Cannot open on iPadOS 14.8.1
- Game freezes when playing on mobile network

**Requested features**

- UI rework for mobile
- Improve UI readability
- Optimize UI for smaller screens
- Add French translation
- Add Turkish language support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Magic Research free?

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

### Is Unnamed Space Idle free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Magic Research or Unnamed Space Idle?

Magic Research is rated higher. Magic Research averages 4.7 out of 5 from 186 ratings, while Unnamed Space Idle averages 4.6 from 243 ratings.

### Do Magic Research or Unnamed Space Idle have ads?

Neither Magic Research nor Unnamed Space Idle shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Magic Research or Unnamed Space Idle?

Magic Research ships an update every 4 days, and Unnamed Space Idle every 2 days. Most recently, Magic Research was updated on November 3, 2026 and Unnamed Space Idle on November 4, 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.*