# The Marimo vs Duck Pet

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Duck Pet at 323 against The Marimo's 16. Duck Pet also leads on iOS requirement (10.0 vs 15.6). The Marimo's advantage is monetization model (ad-supported vs free with in-app purchases). On price, rating, review sentiment and 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.

Duck Pet holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Duck Pet has 323 ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 80% and 79% positive.

The Marimo ships an update every 3 months, Duck Pet every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Marimo | Duck Pet |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-marimo/id398361669/reviews) | **[4.6 (323 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/duck-pet/id1503990221/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 16 | **323** |
| Positive reviews | **79.6% of reviews** | 79.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 18 MB | 55 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **10.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kosuke Ogawa](https://appshunter.io/developer/379825481) | [sio honda](https://appshunter.io/developer/1467585268) |

## 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


### Duck Pet

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/duck-pet/id1503990221)

Raise a cute duck as a virtual pet on your phone. Enjoy its smooth animations and relaxing music while easily feeding and cleaning it. Watch your duck grow and interact with it by tapping the screen.

**Highlights:** Virtual duck pet, Easy feeding and cleaning, Duck growth tracking, Interactive touch controls, Relaxing music, Customizable duck name

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Marimo free?

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

### Is Duck Pet free?

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

### Which has better reviews, The Marimo or Duck Pet?

Duck Pet is rated higher. The Marimo averages 4.4 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while Duck Pet averages 4.6 from 323 ratings.

### Do The Marimo or Duck Pet have ads?

Both The Marimo and Duck Pet show ads.

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

The Marimo ships an update every 3 months, and Duck Pet every 6 months. Most recently, The Marimo was updated on September 26, 2026 and Duck Pet on September 21, 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.*