Comparison

Fish Tycoon Lite vs AQUALIA

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Fish Tycoon Lite

Breed and care for over 400 species of virtual fish to solve a genetic puzzle and discover legendary magic fish. Manage your aquarium business, customize tanks, and progress in real-time.

Highlights
  • Virtual fish breeding
  • Genetic puzzle solving
  • Over 400 fish species
  • Real-time simulation
  • Aquarium customization
  • Fish store management
Features
Read full description

***NOTE: The FULL version of Fish Tycoon is currently on sale for $0.99 for a very limited time! If you have wanted the FULL version, now is your chance!*** Fish Tycoon is the award-winning virtual fish breeding game from the creators of the acclaimed Virtual Villagers series. Now, with the introduction of Fish Tycoon for iPhone and iPod touch, you can take this sensational game with you wherever you go! Starting with $300 and a handful of eggs gathered from the fabled island of Isola, your goal is to unlock the genetic puzzle and discover the 7 Magic Fish of Isola. Along your journey to discovering the Magic Fish, you will breed and care for more than 400 species of fish, financing your operation by selling your creations to the eager customers who visit your Fish Store. A wide variety of aquarium supplies are available to equip and customize your tanks, care for your fish, and magically enhance your aquariums. The game continues to progress in true real time, even when your iPhone is turned off, so don’t forget to check in regularly to feed your fish, cure their illnesses, and create the next generation of baby fish that will be another step in your pursuit of the legendary Magic Fish of Isola. More about Fish Tycoon * It’s a virtual pet: care for your fish in your own virtual aquarium. * It’s a simulation game: maintain virtual fish in a persistent world. * It’s a genetic puzzle: discover which breeding combinations will lead to the discovery of the 7 Magic Fish. * It’s a tycoon game: test your business skills and aquarium skills at the same time! * There are many approaches to solving the game, with over 400 species of fish to breed. * You can customize your tanks: purchase aquarium ornaments and place them where you like them! * Experience real-time game play, with new surprises every time you turn on the game! Full version features: - Unlimited play - Full access to fish supplies and research - 2 fish tanks for breeding and selling your fish Upgrade to the full version to get tanks that hold 3 times as many fish and the option to purchase a third customizable fish tank for even more fish breeding! For the latest info, and to find out what else we're cookin' up, follow us on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/LastDayofWork

About

AQUALIA

Design and manage your dream aquarium, raising over 180 types of tropical fish. Decorate your tank with hundreds of items, feed your fish, and keep it clean for their steady growth. Enjoy mini-games to earn rewards and unlock new content.

Highlights
  • Raise 180+ fish types
  • Decorate with 280+ items
  • Fish feeding and tank cleaning
  • Level up fish for upgrades
  • Play integrated mini-games
  • Earn rare fish and decorations
Features
Read full description

We present to you the most beautiful fish tank in the world. Fill your fish tank with a variety of tropical fish and design the aquarium with your own concept. 1. The fun of raising various fish You can purchase eggs from over 180 types of fish and hatch and grow them yourself. Over time, the fish get hungry and the tank gets dirty. Feed the fish and keep the fish tank clean to ensure steady growth. 2. Decorate your own aquarium Create your own aquarium by arranging over 280 types of decorations as you wish. You can create a variety of aquariums that you could only dream of. 3. Grow and level up your fish! Grow your fish to 100% and upgrade levels as you gain experience. Each time you level up, fish tanks with more diverse concepts await you. 4. When you’re bored, play a mini game! Do you feel like the time spent growing fish is boring? Enjoy the high-quality mini games prepared for you. Rare fish and decorations can be obtained as bonuses! Instagram: @aqualia_game Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aqualia.game

Screenshots

Fish Tycoon Lite4 screens
AQUALIA4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: AQUALIA at 4.7 against Fish Tycoon Lite's 3.8. AQUALIA also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months) and review sentiment (69% vs 60%). Fish Tycoon Lite's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 15) and ads (none vs shown). On price, ratings volume and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. AQUALIA sells 15 one-off in-app purchases. Fish Tycoon Lite asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

AQUALIA holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.2K and 1K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of Fish Tycoon Lite's written reviews are positive against 69% of AQUALIA's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Fish Tycoon Lite ships an update every 2 months, AQUALIA monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Fish Tycoon Lite versus AQUALIA: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFish Tycoon LiteAQUALIA
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (1.2K ratings)4.7 (1K ratings) — better
Positive reviews60.4% of reviews68.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.2K — better1K
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS8.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size41 MB224 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLDW Software, LLCLigensoft

Customer experience

Fish Tycoon Lite

All ratings1,194 ratings
Positive66.1%
Neutral13.6%
Negative20.4%
Written reviews588 reviews
Positive60.4%
Neutral13.6%
Negative26.0%

AQUALIA

All ratings995 ratings
Positive92.4%
Neutral3.5%
Negative4.1%
Written reviews156 reviews
Positive68.6%
Neutral14.7%
Negative16.7%

User reviews

Fish Tycoon Lite

From 1.2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Fun and addictive game
  • 🚀 Challenging gameplay
  • 💡 Ability to customize fish tanks
  • 👍 Nostalgic for fans of the original PC version

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Glitches and crashes
  • 🐛 Pregnant fish not giving birth
  • 🐛 Fish disappearing from tanks
  • 🔍 Small text and UI elements
  • 💰 Expensive in-game items and upgrades

AQUALIA

From 1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎨 Beautiful graphics
  • 🎶 Relaxing music
  • 🔍 Detailed fish information
  • 🎮 Fun mini-games
  • 📺 No intrusive ads

Room to improve

  • 🤖 AI-generated art
  • 🔍 Unclear game mechanics
  • 🧭 Limited camera controls
  • 🐟 Mixing of freshwater and saltwater fish
  • 🔁 Repetitive tasks

Bugs and requests

Fish Tycoon Lite

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Game restarting and losing progress
  • Incompatibility with newer iOS devices
  • Pregnant fish not producing offspring

Requested features

6 requests
  • Larger fish tanks
  • More fish per tank
  • Faster fish growth and breeding
  • Better in-game tutorials and guidance
  • Ability to pause or slow down time
Show 1 more
  • More ways to earn in-game currency

AQUALIA

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Flashing logo causing seizure concerns
  • Slow server load times
  • Progress not saving properly
  • Inconsistent hitboxes in mini-games

Requested features

6 requests
  • Ability to sell or remove fish from main tank
  • Automatic fish growth and tank maintenance
  • Separate tanks for freshwater and saltwater fish
  • More mini-game options
  • Ability to name and level up fish
Show 1 more
  • Expanded tank customization options

In-app purchases

None

Fish Tycoon Lite

No in-app purchases

15 purchases

AQUALIA

One-time15
  • 600,000 Hearts$1.99
  • Green field Decoration Set$1.99
  • Water Puppy Flowerhorn$2.99
Show 12 more
  • Beautiful Betta Fishes Package$3.99
  • Koi Fish Package$4.99
  • 1,500,000 Hearts$4.99
  • Butterfly Koi Fish Set$5.99
  • Japanese Restaurant Package$6.99
  • 2,400,000 Hearts$6.99
  • Dreamland Turtle Aquarium$9.99
  • Christmas Aquarium Set$12.99
  • Mystical Arowana Aquarium Set$12.99
  • 5,000,000 Hearts$12.99
  • Waddling Ranchu Aquarium Set$14.99
  • 8,500,000 Hearts$19.99

Questions

Is Fish Tycoon Lite free?
Fish Tycoon Lite is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is AQUALIA free?
AQUALIA is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Fish Tycoon Lite or AQUALIA?
AQUALIA is rated higher. Fish Tycoon Lite averages 3.8 out of 5 from 1.2K ratings, while AQUALIA averages 4.7 from 1K ratings.
Do Fish Tycoon Lite or AQUALIA have ads?
AQUALIA shows ads; Fish Tycoon Lite does not.
Which is updated more often, Fish Tycoon Lite or AQUALIA?
Fish Tycoon Lite ships an update every 2 months, and AQUALIA monthly. Most recently, Fish Tycoon Lite was updated on November 1, 2026 and AQUALIA on October 27, 2026.

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