# The Marimo vs Garden Eel Pet

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Garden Eel Pet at 393 against The Marimo's 16. Garden Eel Pet also leads on update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.6). The Marimo's advantage is monetization model (ad-supported vs free with in-app purchases). On price, rating, review sentiment 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.

Garden Eel Pet holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Garden Eel Pet has 393 ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 80% of The Marimo's written reviews are positive against 78% of Garden Eel Pet's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

The Marimo ships an update every 3 months, Garden Eel Pet every 6 weeks. Both last shipped on September 22, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Marimo | Garden Eel Pet |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-marimo/id398361669/reviews) | **[4.6 (393 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/garden-eel-pet/id1271052707/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 16 | **393** |
| Positive reviews | **79.6% of reviews** | 77.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 18 MB | 123 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kosuke Ogawa](https://appshunter.io/developer/379825481) | [Hiroki Yamada](https://appshunter.io/developer/491381849) |

## 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


### Garden Eel Pet

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/garden-eel-pet/id1271052707)

Raise a virtual Garden Eel on your smartphone. This simple game allows you to feed and clean your pet, watch its cute movements, and even name it. It's a therapeutic and time-killing experience perfect for all ages.

**Highlights:** Raise a virtual Garden Eel, Feed and clean your pet, Watch cute pet movements, Name your pet, Take and share photos, Receive feeding/cleaning reminders

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 😊 Relaxing and therapeutic gameplay
- 🎮 Simple, easy-to-understand mechanics
- 🐠 Cute and adorable animal designs
- 💰 Free-to-play with no paywall
- 🧠 Stress-relieving and calming experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 Expensive in-game store items
- 📺 Excessive ads and ad-watching requirements
- ⚠️ Pets die too easily/frequently
- 🔊 Cannot disable music
- ⏱️ Requires frequent check-ins

**Reported bugs**

- Pets dying unexpectedly after short absences
- Pets coughing/showing illness symptoms
- Pets hissing and fighting with newly added animals
- Snake pet not functioning properly
- Screen partially cut off by ads after updates

**Requested features**

- Breeding/reproduction system
- More decorations and customization options
- Frog pet variant
- Additional activities and gameplay mechanics
- Faster currency earning methods


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Marimo free?

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

### Is Garden Eel Pet free?

Garden Eel Pet is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, The Marimo or Garden Eel Pet?

Garden Eel Pet is rated higher. The Marimo averages 4.4 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while Garden Eel Pet averages 4.6 from 393 ratings.

### Do The Marimo or Garden Eel Pet have ads?

Both The Marimo and Garden Eel Pet show ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Marimo or Garden Eel Pet?

The Marimo ships an update every 3 months, and Garden Eel Pet every 6 weeks. Most recently, The Marimo was updated on September 22, 2026 and Garden Eel Pet on September 22, 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.*