# Tiny Tower vs Idle Planet Miner

The clearest difference is update cadence: Idle Planet Miner at every 5 days against Tiny Tower's every 3 weeks. Tiny Tower's advantage is review sentiment (85% vs 69%) and ratings volume (55K vs 10K). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Tiny Tower sells 11 one-off in-app purchases and Idle Planet Miner sells 16 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Tiny Tower against 4.7 for Idle Planet Miner. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Tiny Tower has 55K ratings behind it against 10K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 85% of Tiny Tower's written reviews are positive against 69% of Idle Planet Miner's.

Tiny Tower ships an update every 3 weeks, Idle Planet Miner every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Tiny Tower | Idle Planet Miner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (55K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tiny-tower-tap-idle-evolution/id422667065/reviews) | [4.7 (10K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-planet-miner/id1441880123/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **55K** | 10K |
| Positive reviews | **84.9% of reviews** | 68.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#59** | #159 |
| Size | 482 MB | 311 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | +12 | 4+ |
| Developer | [NimbleBit LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/285808572) | [Tech Tree Games LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1175843955) |

## What reviewers say

### Tiny Tower

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tiny-tower-tap-idle-evolution/id422667065)

**Currently charting:** #59 Top Grossing · Family, #134 Top Free · Family (US App Store)

Build and manage your own pixel-art skyscraper, inviting unique residents and assigning them jobs to grow your tower's economy. Interact with friends, trade residents, and explore their creations in this charming idle simulation game.

**Highlights:** Build unique skyscraper floors, Invite and manage charming bitizens, Assign jobs to bitizens, Collect earnings and reinvest, Upgrade the elevator, Connect and trade with friends, Explore BitBook social network

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

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Chain Offer Tier 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| pack of 10 Tower Bux | $0.99 | one-time |
| Tiny Bux Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Piggy Bank Contents | $2.99 | one-time |
| pack of 100 Tower Bux | $4.99 | one-time |
| Medium Bux Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Dice Roll - Tier 4 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Giant Bux Pack (50% OFF!) | $14.99 | one-time |
| 500 Tower Bux | $19.99 | one-time |
| VIP Package (50% OFF!) | $19.99 | one-time |
| pack of 1,000 Tower Bux | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐ Timeless game
- ⭐ Addictive and fun
- ⭐ Customizable and personalized
- ⭐ Doesn't require internet or ads
- ⭐ Great customer support

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⏱️ Slow progression and high costs
- 📺 Too many ads and in-app purchases
- 🤖 Cluttered and confusing UI
- 🔍 Lack of social features and interaction

**Reported bugs**

- Losing progress and tower data
- Ads not rewarding the promised bux
- Issues with restoring old towers

**Requested features**

- More customization options for bitizens and floors
- Ability to move bitizens between floors
- Increased chances of winning golden tickets
- More mini-games and interactive elements
- Better social features to connect with friends


### Idle Planet Miner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-planet-miner/id1441880123)

**Currently charting:** #159 Top Grossing · Role Playing, #189 Top Grossing · Simulation, #204 Top Free · Role Playing (US App Store)

Build and manage your own space mining empire in this idle simulation game. Upgrade planets, smelt ore, hire managers, and play the galactic market to maximize profits. Compete in weekly tournaments for premium rewards.

**Highlights:** Idle gameplay with offline earnings, Upgrade planets and mining operations, Smelt and craft ore into valuable items, Hire managers to boost production, Play the galactic market, Compete in weekly multiplayer tournaments

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

**In-app purchases (16)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Starter Pack D1 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Small Dark Matter Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $9.99 | one-time |
| Medium Dark Matter Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Miner Pass | $14.99 | one-time |
| Manager Pack | $19.99 | one-time |
| Holiday Bundle | $19.99 | one-time |
| Massive Dark Matter Pack | $29.99 | one-time |
| Merchant Pack | $29.99 | one-time |
| Epic Pack | $29.99 | one-time |
| Exodus Bundle | $29.99 | one-time |
| Aurora Pack | $29.99 | one-time |
| Thunder Horse Pack | $29.99 | one-time |
| Enigma Pack | $49.99 | one-time |
| Galaxy Sized Dark Matter Pack | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Relaxing and calming gameplay
- 🚀 Smooth progression and satisfying loop
- 🔒 Optional ads with rewards
- 💡 Interesting research and upgrade system
- 👍 Polished and well-designed game

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inconsistent offline progress tracking
- ⏱️ Slow progression and long wait times
- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔋 High battery consumption

**Reported bugs**

- Smelting and crafting not working as expected when offline
- Ads not always providing the correct rewards
- Leaderboards and tournaments appearing to be manipulated
- Restore purchases feature not working reliably

**Requested features**

- More offline time or upgrades to increase it
- Ability to rename planets
- Additional end-game content and challenges
- Visual customization options for ships and planets
- Cloud save and cross-device sync


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Tiny Tower free?

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

### Is Idle Planet Miner free?

Idle Planet Miner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Tiny Tower or Idle Planet Miner?

Tiny Tower and Idle Planet Miner are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 55K and 10K ratings respectively.

### Do Tiny Tower or Idle Planet Miner have ads?

Both Tiny Tower and Idle Planet Miner show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Tiny Tower or Idle Planet Miner?

Tiny Tower ships an update every 3 weeks, and Idle Planet Miner every 5 days. Most recently, Tiny Tower was updated on October 18, 2026 and Idle Planet Miner on October 17, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Tiny Tower or Idle Planet Miner?

Tiny Tower currently peaks at #59 in the App Store charts, and Idle Planet Miner at #159. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*