# Cato's Hike vs Stickleback Evolution Lab

The clearest difference is price: Stickleback Evolution Lab at Free against Cato's Hike's $5.99. Stickleback Evolution Lab also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 64%) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.6). Cato's Hike's advantage is rating (4.1 vs 2.6) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 28 months). On ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Stickleback Evolution Lab is free to download; Cato's Hike costs $5.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Cato's Hike holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 2.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cato's Hike has 48 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 64% of Cato's Hike's written reviews are positive against 100% of Stickleback Evolution Lab's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Cato's Hike ships an update fortnightly, Stickleback Evolution Lab every 28 months. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cato's Hike | Stickleback Evolution Lab |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $5.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.1 (48 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/catos-hike/id574335479/reviews)** | [2.6 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stickleback-evolution-lab/id938339250/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **48** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | 64.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 28 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 38 MB | 264 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **8.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Hesham Wahba](https://appshunter.io/developer/358331461) | [Howard Hughes Medical Institute](https://appshunter.io/developer/411540290) |

## What reviewers say

### Cato's Hike

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/catos-hike/id574335479)

Embark on a programming adventure where you guide a young boy through a new world by creating programs. Learn fundamental coding concepts like loops and branches through engaging puzzles and a visual interface. Create and share your own challenges with a powerful map editor.

**Highlights:** Visual programming interface with cards, Introduction to loops, branches, and memory, 60 levels and 12 tutorials, Map editor for creating and sharing puzzles, Save and preview custom maps, Email puzzle solutions and maps

**In-app purchases:** none


### Stickleback Evolution Lab

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stickleback-evolution-lab/id938339250)

Explore the science of evolution by analyzing the pelvic structures of threespine stickleback fish. This virtual lab offers three experiments using real fish specimens and fossils, complete with graphing and statistical analysis tools for drawing conclusions about population evolution.

**Highlights:** Analyze pelvic structures of threespine stickleback fish, Conduct experiments with living specimens and fossils, Collect and analyze biological data, Graphing and statistical analysis tools, Learn about evolutionary science

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cato's Hike free?

Cato's Hike costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Stickleback Evolution Lab free?

Stickleback Evolution Lab is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Cato's Hike or Stickleback Evolution Lab?

Cato's Hike is rated higher. Cato's Hike averages 4.1 out of 5 from 48 ratings, while Stickleback Evolution Lab averages 2.6 from 8 ratings.

### Do Cato's Hike or Stickleback Evolution Lab have ads?

Neither Cato's Hike nor Stickleback Evolution Lab shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Cato's Hike or Stickleback Evolution Lab?

Cato's Hike ships an update fortnightly, and Stickleback Evolution Lab every 28 months. Most recently, Cato's Hike was updated on October 21, 2026 and Stickleback Evolution Lab on October 24, 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.*