# Meanwhile vs Anomaly

The clearest difference is price: Anomaly at Free against Meanwhile's $4.99. Anomaly also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.1) and ratings volume (54 vs 10). Meanwhile's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (every 12 months vs every 35 months). On review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Anomaly is free to download; Meanwhile costs $4.99 up front. Anomaly sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Meanwhile asks for nothing beyond the download.

Anomaly holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Anomaly has 54 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of Meanwhile's written reviews are positive against 84% of Anomaly's.

Meanwhile ships an update every 12 months, Anomaly every 35 months. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Meanwhile | Anomaly |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.1 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meanwhile-interactive-comic/id458451517/reviews) | **[4.7 (54 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/anomaly-interactive-comic/id572319030/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 10 | **54** |
| Positive reviews | 79.2% of reviews | **84.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 12 months** | Every 35 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#173** | — |
| Size | 55 MB | 204 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **11.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Zarfhome Software Consulting](https://appshunter.io/developer/457956106) | [Anomaly Productions, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/534091935) |

## What reviewers say

### Meanwhile

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meanwhile-interactive-comic/id458451517)

**Currently charting:** #173 Top Paid · Book (US App Store)

Explore a mad scientist's wonderland and make choices that shape your adventure. This interactive comic offers thousands of branching paths, leading to various outcomes, from doom to success. Experience a unique story with full audio accessibility.

**Highlights:** Branching narrative paths, User-driven story choices, Thousands of adventure outcomes, Infinite scrollable canvas, Full audio accessibility (VoiceOver)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Anomaly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/anomaly-interactive-comic/id572319030)

Experience a groundbreaking graphic novel with interactive parallax animation and professional voice acting. Choose your path through a 320-page sci-fi/fantasy epic, enhanced with over 175 informational touchpoints and 3.5 hours of audio.

**Highlights:** Interactive graphic novel, Parallax animation, Professional voice acting, 320-page sci-fi/fantasy story, 175+ informational touchpoints, 3 reading modes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Unlock | $0.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Meanwhile free?

Meanwhile costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Anomaly free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Meanwhile or Anomaly?

Anomaly is rated higher. Meanwhile averages 4.1 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while Anomaly averages 4.7 from 54 ratings.

### Do Meanwhile or Anomaly have ads?

Neither Meanwhile nor Anomaly shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Meanwhile or Anomaly?

Meanwhile ships an update every 12 months, and Anomaly every 35 months. Most recently, Meanwhile was updated on October 1, 2026 and Anomaly on September 30, 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.*