# Pixel Mall vs Nicole

The clearest difference is rating: Nicole at 4.2 against Pixel Mall's 3.6. Pixel Mall's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 20 months) and ratings volume (1.7K vs 108). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pixel Mall sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and Nicole sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Nicole holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pixel Mall has 1.7K ratings behind it against 108, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 73% of Pixel Mall's written reviews are positive against 61% of Nicole's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Pixel Mall ships an update weekly, Nicole every 20 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pixel Mall | Nicole |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.6 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-mall/id474412095/reviews) | **[4.2 (108 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nicole/id794491905/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.7K** | 108 |
| Positive reviews | **72.9% of reviews** | 61.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 20 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 9 MB | 118 MB |
| Requires iOS | **3.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Totally Apps Holdings Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/428214368) | [Celso Riva](https://appshunter.io/developer/331419396) |

## What reviewers say

### Pixel Mall

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-mall/id474412095)

Build and manage your own virtual mall. Hire staff, upgrade facilities, and experience the ups and downs of business ownership. Become the ultimate mall tycoon by creating the most successful shopping destination.

**Highlights:** Own and run a virtual mall, Hire and command staff, Manage and upgrade building facilities, Experience business management challenges, Become a mall tycoon

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 100 Pixel Coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| 210 Pixel Coins | $1.99 | one-time |
| 460 Pixel Coins | $3.99 | one-time |
| 1250 Pixel Coins | $9.99 | one-time |
| 3000 Pixel Coins | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Addictive and fun
- 👍 Cute graphics and pixel art style
- ⭐ Great game overall

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Difficult to progress without spending money on pixel coins
- 🐛 Crashes and performance issues on higher levels
- 🕰️ Slow progression without pixel coins

**Reported bugs**

- Pixel coin video ads not working
- Game freezing and crashing
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Easier way to earn pixel coins without downloading other apps
- More in-game currency options to purchase upgrades
- Optimization for larger screens like iPad


### Nicole

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nicole/id794491905)

Experience college life while unraveling a campus mystery. Engage in daily activities, take part-time jobs, and interact with intriguing characters. You might even find yourself dating the culprit.

**Highlights:** Dating sim gameplay, Campus mystery storyline, Part-time jobs for income, Explore various locations, Multiple dating options, Multiple endings

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Add 100 units of in-game currency | $0.99 | one-time |
| Unlock all male romances | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💕 Interesting story and characters
- 👍 Unique and engaging gameplay
- 🎨 Beautiful art style
- 🎶 Enjoyable soundtrack

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive full version price
- ⏱️ Short trial period
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔒 Locked content behind paywall

**Reported bugs**

- Ending glitches preventing true endings
- Progress loss after exiting the app
- Compatibility issues on older devices

**Requested features**

- More free content in trial version
- Ability to switch between love interests
- Longer gameplay duration
- Improved save/load functionality


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pixel Mall free?

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

### Is Nicole free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pixel Mall or Nicole?

Nicole is rated higher. Pixel Mall averages 3.6 out of 5 from 1.7K ratings, while Nicole averages 4.2 from 108 ratings.

### Do Pixel Mall or Nicole have ads?

Neither Pixel Mall nor Nicole shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pixel Mall or Nicole?

Pixel Mall ships an update weekly, and Nicole every 20 months. Most recently, Pixel Mall was updated on October 29, 2026 and Nicole on October 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.*