# The Marimo vs Rice Fish

The Marimo and Rice Fish both sit at 4.4 stars, but that hides the real split: 80% of The Marimo's written reviews are positive against 67% of Rice Fish's. Rice Fish's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for The Marimo against 4.3 for Rice Fish. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 16 and 13 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of The Marimo's written reviews are positive against 67% of Rice Fish's.

The Marimo ships an update every 3 months, Rice Fish every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Marimo | Rice Fish |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-marimo/id398361669/reviews)** | [4.3 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rice-fish/id1069343386/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **16** | 13 |
| Positive reviews | **79.6% of reviews** | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Ad-supported |
| Size | 18 MB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kosuke Ogawa](https://appshunter.io/developer/379825481) | [KENSHI DOI](https://appshunter.io/developer/709264908) |

## What reviewers say

### The Marimo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-marimo/id398361669)

Care for a virtual green ball creature that grows over time. Keep its environment clean and provide light to ensure its survival. Customize its appearance and interact with it through various gestures.

**Highlights:** Virtual pet care, Growth simulation, Environment maintenance, Customization options, Interactive controls, Social sharing

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Rice Fish

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rice-fish/id1069343386)

A virtual aquarium simulation where you care for Japanese rice fishes and aquatic plants. Interact with your fish, clean the tank, and watch your aquarium grow. Save your progress via iCloud and explore a 3D view with a companion app.

**Highlights:** Virtual aquarium simulation, Feed and clean fish, Interactive characters, Aquarium customization, iCloud data saving, 3D VR view companion app

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Marimo free?

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

### Is Rice Fish free?

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

### Which has better reviews, The Marimo or Rice Fish?

The Marimo is rated higher. The Marimo averages 4.4 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while Rice Fish averages 4.3 from 13 ratings.

### Do The Marimo or Rice Fish have ads?

Both The Marimo and Rice Fish show ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Marimo or Rice Fish?

The Marimo ships an update every 3 months, and Rice Fish every 4 months. Most recently, The Marimo was updated on October 12, 2026 and Rice Fish on September 18, 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.*