# Bacterias vs Merge Sharks

The clearest difference is rating: Merge Sharks at 4.7 against Bacterias's 3.9. Merge Sharks also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (5K vs 212). Bacterias's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7). On price, review sentiment, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Merge Sharks sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Bacterias asks for nothing beyond the download.

Merge Sharks holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Merge Sharks has 5K ratings behind it against 212, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 41% of Bacterias's written reviews are positive against 44% of Merge Sharks's.

Bacterias ships an update every 3 months, Merge Sharks every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bacterias | Merge Sharks |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.9 (212 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bacterias/id1672033845/reviews) | **[4.7 (5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merge-sharks/id6478132305/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 212 | **5K** |
| Positive reviews | 40.5% of reviews | **44.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 253 MB | 266 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Yso Corp](https://appshunter.io/developer/659815325) | [Thomas Cooper](https://appshunter.io/developer/1247154073) |

## What reviewers say

### Bacterias

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bacterias/id1672033845)

Create unique monsters by injecting bacteria into creatures. Discover new species and expand your collection of bizarre beings. A simple yet engaging game for those who enjoy creature creation and collection.

**Highlights:** Inject bacteria into creatures, Create unique monsters, Discover new species, Collect monsters

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and creative game
- 👍 Original game concept
- 👍 Good for kids
- 👍 Engaging gameplay
- 👍 Interesting fight sequence

**What reviewers complain about**

- ❌ Excessive ads
- ❌ Frequent ads
- ❌ Ads interrupt gameplay
- ❌ Glitchy gameplay
- ❌ Game lags significantly

**Reported bugs**

- Monster gets too big in battle
- Monster falls through the ground
- Game lags heavily
- Game won't let users play
- Too many glitches

**Requested features**

- Add more animals (lion, elephant, zebra)
- Add decorated cages for monsters
- Add a battlefield to challenge other people
- Add more DNA
- Add more money to spend


### Merge Sharks

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merge-sharks/id6478132305)

Combine your fish and projectile units to create unique creatures. Expand your aquatic army and conquer the vast ocean.

**Highlights:** Merge fish and projectile units, Create unique creatures, Grow your army, Conquer the open ocean

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 100 Gems | $0.99 | one-time |
| 50 Gems | $0.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $2.99 | one-time |
| 200 Gems | $2.99 | one-time |
| 700 Gems | $9.99 | one-time |
| 1500 Gems | $19.99 | one-time |
| 10000 Gems | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Good game
- 🤩 Fun game
- 💡 Merge sharks to get better sharks
- 💡 Defeat other team to get more money

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy, issues with progress and character disappearance
- 🤯 Frustrating when best things disappear
- 😩 Forced ads even after paying for no ads
- 🤬 Entire fleet/progress deleted

**Reported bugs**

- Progress and characters randomly disappearing
- Inability to move or control game elements

**Requested features**

- More levels and content
- Improved stability and bug fixes


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bacterias free?

Bacterias is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Merge Sharks free?

Merge Sharks is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Bacterias or Merge Sharks?

Merge Sharks is rated higher. Bacterias averages 3.9 out of 5 from 212 ratings, while Merge Sharks averages 4.7 from 5K ratings.

### Do Bacterias or Merge Sharks have ads?

Both Bacterias and Merge Sharks show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bacterias or Merge Sharks?

Bacterias ships an update every 3 months, and Merge Sharks every 2 weeks. Most recently, Bacterias was updated on November 7, 2026 and Merge Sharks on November 8, 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.*