# Magic Research vs Ethos Idle

The clearest difference is price: Ethos Idle 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.

Ethos Idle is free to download; Magic Research costs $3.99 up front. Ethos Idle 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 — 4.7 for Magic Research against 4.8 for Ethos Idle. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 188 and 239 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 95% of Magic Research's written reviews are positive against 84% of Ethos Idle's.

Magic Research ships an update every 4 days, Ethos Idle fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Magic Research | Ethos Idle |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $3.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.7 (188 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-research/id1671272877/reviews) | **[4.8 (239 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ethos-idle/id6737059942/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 188 | **239** |
| Positive reviews | **95.1% of reviews** | 84.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#111** | — |
| Size | 25 MB | 101 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Matias Ezequiel Colotto](https://appshunter.io/developer/1669682477) | [Graham Goldstein](https://appshunter.io/developer/1618966149) |

## What reviewers say

### Magic Research

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

**Currently charting:** #111 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


### Ethos Idle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ethos-idle/id6737059942)

Guide humanity's progress from its earliest discoveries to the distant future. Manage your tribe's choices, develop over 200 unique ideas, and explore the world. Advance your civilization, unlock bonuses, and enjoy a single-player, offline experience with optional ads.

**Highlights:** Develop over 200 historic ideas, Explore and exploit the world, Manage tribe choices, Unlock exploration bonuses and synergies, Prestige mechanic upgrades, Customizable challenge scenarios, Offline single-player experience

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| x2 Speed | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast progression
- 👍 Minimal ad interruption
- 👍 Simple and enjoyable design
- 👍 Great for relaxing and watching numbers go up
- 👍 Excellent incremental game design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐢 Slower progression speed desired
- 🛒 IAP for 2x production doesn't eliminate video ads

**Reported bugs**

- RNG for challenges is unfair and unfun
- Unlocking buffs for inaccessible technologies

**Requested features**

- Option to remove ads entirely
- Clarification on prestige warp gain multipliers


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Magic Research free?

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

### Is Ethos Idle free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Magic Research or Ethos Idle?

Ethos Idle is rated higher. Magic Research averages 4.7 out of 5 from 188 ratings, while Ethos Idle averages 4.8 from 239 ratings.

### Do Magic Research or Ethos Idle have ads?

Ethos Idle shows ads; Magic Research does not.

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

Magic Research ships an update every 4 days, and Ethos Idle fortnightly. Most recently, Magic Research was updated on September 22, 2026 and Ethos Idle on September 25, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*