# The Marimo vs AquaPlants

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: The Marimo at none against AquaPlants's 7. The Marimo also leads on review sentiment (80% vs 67%). AquaPlants's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months) and rating (4.7 vs 4.4). On price, ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. AquaPlants sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. The Marimo asks for nothing beyond the download.

AquaPlants holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 16 and 43 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 80% of The Marimo's written reviews are positive against 67% of AquaPlants'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, AquaPlants fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Marimo | AquaPlants |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-marimo/id398361669/reviews) | **[4.7 (43 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aquaplants/id1545761159/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 16 | **43** |
| Positive reviews | **79.6% of reviews** | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 18 MB | 157 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kosuke Ogawa](https://appshunter.io/developer/379825481) | [Filmo inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/914425393) |

## 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


### AquaPlants

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aquaplants/id1545761159)

Cultivate a vibrant underwater world by growing aquatic plants and observing their photosynthesis. As your plants flourish, attract a variety of beautiful tropical fish to your aquarium. This idle game offers a relaxing experience with charming animations and detailed plant information.

**Highlights:** Idle incremental gameplay, Grow aquatic plants, Attract tropical fish, Collect various fish and plants, Detailed plant encyclopedia, Cute fish animations, Realistic 3D plant models

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Decoration Item (TreeStamp) | $1.99 | one-time |
| ガチャアイテム（ネオンテトラx5） | $1.99 | one-time |
| AmazonFrogPit | $1.99 | one-time |
| シンガブルーネオンタキシードリボンx5 | $3.99 | one-time |
| グリーンコブラグッピーx5 | $3.99 | one-time |
| ショップチケット×5 | $9.99 | one-time |
| ショップチケット×20 | $24.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Marimo free?

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

### Is AquaPlants free?

AquaPlants is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, The Marimo or AquaPlants?

AquaPlants is rated higher. The Marimo averages 4.4 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while AquaPlants averages 4.7 from 43 ratings.

### Do The Marimo or AquaPlants have ads?

Both The Marimo and AquaPlants show ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Marimo or AquaPlants?

The Marimo ships an update every 3 months, and AquaPlants fortnightly. Most recently, The Marimo was updated on October 19, 2026 and AquaPlants on October 7, 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.*