Whale Trail vs Circle
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Whale Trail
Embark on a vibrant journey as a whale, collecting items, performing aerial maneuvers, and battling enemies. Unlock new characters, enhance abilities, and explore numerous challenge levels. Enjoy a visually stunning and engaging arcade experience.
- Fly as Willow the Whale
- Collect Blubbles and earn Krill
- Unlock playable friends
- Upgrade Willow's skills
- Smash enemies
- 96 Challenge levels
- Classic and Challenge game modes
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***Previously Apple Game of the Week*** 26,000+ 5 Star Ratings! (and counting) Fly as Willow the Whale, collect Blubbles, loop the loop, unlock playable friends, upgrade Willow's skills, smash enemies and meet bonkers characters along the way. ================================= > ‘The next smash hit in iOS gaming.’ - TNW > ‘The game is GORGEOUSLY cute. Try it out for a buck.’ - Gizmodo > ‘Whale Trail is an absolute joy.’ - TouchArcade > ‘The kind of winningly simple concept from which App Store phenomena are made.’ - Edge > ‘Impossible not to like, stellar production values and solid gameplay.’ - Pocket Gamer > ‘Ditch your jetpack, it’s time to ride the psychedelic Whale Trail.’ - Kotaku > ‘It’s simple and gorgeous. There’s rarely been a better gaming value for money.’ - T3 ================================= • Soundtrack by Gruff Rhys of ‘The Super Furry Animals’ • Simple and intuitive one touch gameplay • 2 game modes, Classic and Challenge • Earn Krill and use it in Willow's store • Upgrade Willow's skills • Unlock playable friends • Use 'Treats' while flying for instant bonuses! • 96 Challenge levels, can you 3 STAR them all? • Smash the Thunder Bros in 'Frenzy' mode • Launch into space at speed-boosts • Compete against friends with Game Center • Heaps of challenging missions to unlock
Circle
Guide a jumping circle to avoid a dangerous line. Test your reflexes and see how far you can progress in this simple yet challenging arcade game. Compete for the highest score.
- Tap to jump
- Avoid the line
- Endless gameplay
- Score tracking
- Challenging reflexes
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Make the circle jump and avoid hitting the line! How far can you go?
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Whale Trail at 95% against Circle's 43%. Whale Trail also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.3). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Whale Trail sells 7 one-off in-app purchases and Circle sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Whale Trail holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4.3K and 5.5K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 95% of Whale Trail's written reviews are positive against 43% of Circle's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. Both last shipped on September 28, 2026.
| Parameter | Whale Trail | Circle |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (4.3K ratings) — better | 4.3 (5.5K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 94.6% of reviews — better | 42.9% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 4.3K | 5.5K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | 12.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 52 MB | 324 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | ustwo games | Ketchapp |
Customer experience
Whale Trail
Circle
User reviews
Whale Trail
From 4.3K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🐳 Cute and fun game
- 🎶 Wonderful soundtrack
- 👍 Simple and addictive gameplay
- 🌈 Vibrant and colorful visuals
- 🕰️ Nostalgic for long-time players
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🤖 Outdated for newer devices
- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
- 🤯 Challenging and frustrating at times
Circle
From 5.5K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Addictive gameplay
- 👍 Simple and fun concept
- 🎨 Visually appealing circles
- 💎 Earning diamonds is rewarding
Room to improve
- 🔍 Challenges are inaccurate/glitchy
- 📢 Excessive and intrusive ads
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
- 🕹️ Unresponsive controls and lag
- 🔄 Repetitive gameplay with lack of updates
Bugs and requests
Whale Trail
Reported bugs
3 issues- Krill not properly credited after completing levels
- Game freezing on certain device models
- Whale controls not responsive on larger screens
Requested features
4 requests- Multiplayer mode
- More customization options for whales
- Wider screen support for newer devices
- Additional levels and worlds to explore
Circle
Reported bugs
3 issues- Diamonds not counting properly in challenges
- Game screen not fitting properly on newer devices
- Tapping not registering correctly
Requested features
4 requests- More race levels and challenges
- Ability to customize circles
- Option to play own music
- Pause button during gameplay
In-app purchases
Whale Trail
- Unlock Pack 1$1.99
- Unlock Pack 2$1.99
- Pocket Money$1.99
Show 4 moreShow fewer
- Unlock Pack 3$1.99
- Bucket Full$2.99
- Serious Clams$6.99
- Swimming In It$19.99
Circle
- 400 Diamonds$0.99
- Remove Ads$1.99
- 1000 Diamonds$1.99
Show 2 moreShow fewer
- 3000 Diamonds$4.99
- 5000 Diamonds$6.99
