# BugSim vs TimeTree HD

The clearest difference is rating: BugSim at 4.0 against TimeTree HD's 1.0. BugSim also leads on review sentiment (80% vs 63%). TimeTree HD's advantage is iOS requirement (8.0 vs 12.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

BugSim holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 1.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of BugSim's written reviews are positive against 63% of TimeTree HD's.

BugSim ships an update every 33 months, TimeTree HD every 23 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BugSim | TimeTree HD |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bugsim/id376219983/reviews)** | [1.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/timetree-hd/id468820058/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Positive reviews | **80.0% of reviews** | 62.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 33 months | **Every 23 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 1 MB | 66 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | **8.0** |
| Devices | iPad | iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mike Wesemann](https://appshunter.io/developer/285807162) | [Arizona and Penn State Universities](https://appshunter.io/developer/372842503) |

## What reviewers say

### BugSim

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bugsim/id376219983)

Explore Darwinian evolution through a simulation game where virtual bugs learn to survive and hunt bacteria. This educational app is based on a concept from a 1989 Scientific American article.

**Highlights:** Darwinian evolution simulation, Survival of the fittest mechanics, Bugs hunt bacteria, Educational gameplay, Based on Scientific American concept

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### TimeTree HD

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/timetree-hd/id468820058)

Explore the evolutionary timescale of life with this app. It provides a public knowledge base of divergence times among thousands of organisms, drawing from scientific literature. Easily search for comparisons between species and view summary statistics.

**Highlights:** Explore evolutionary timescale, Thousands of divergence times, Tree-based hierarchical system, Search for organism comparisons, Compute summary statistics, Data from 2,274 studies

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BugSim free?

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

### Is TimeTree HD free?

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

### Which has better reviews, BugSim or TimeTree HD?

BugSim is rated higher. BugSim averages 4.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while TimeTree HD averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do BugSim or TimeTree HD have ads?

Neither BugSim nor TimeTree HD shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BugSim or TimeTree HD?

BugSim ships an update every 33 months, and TimeTree HD every 23 months. Most recently, BugSim was updated on November 6, 2026 and TimeTree HD on November 1, 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.*