Comparison

Pixel Pals Widget Pet Game vs Pixel Pets

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Pixel Pals Widget Pet Game

Bring adorable pixel art pets to your Home Screen, Lock Screen, and Live Activities. Customize your chosen companions and enjoy their presence as you navigate your device, adding a touch of joy to every interaction. A variety of animals are available to personalize and name.

Highlights
  • Customizable pixel art pets
  • Home Screen widgets
  • Lock Screen customization
  • Live Activities integration
  • Variety of animal companions
  • Name customization
Features
Read full description

Pixel Pals is an incredible app for customizing your Home Screen and Lock Screen, as well as Live Activities, allowing you to place adorable pets called Pixel Pals that you can customize and enjoy as you swipe through your apps or unlock your phone, making each interaction just that much happier! They're beautiful pixel art renditions of animals, a nostalgic art style that's really delightful to take in. Pixel Pals includes a variety of animals for you to customize and enjoy: - Dog (named Rupert) - Cat (named Hugo) - Hedgehog (named Chortley) - Fox (named Finnegan) - Axolotl (named Mochi) - Otter (named Nugget) - Bat (named Fu-Fu) - Parrot (named Kiwi) - Tiger (named Herbert) - Platypus (named Penny) - Panda (named Poe) - Raccoon (named Oliver) - Butterfly (named Freya) - T-Rex (named Rory) - Bunny (named Thumper) - Red Panda (named Bao) - Pet Rock (named Dwayne) - Penguin (named Bubbles) You can also change any of the names! The dog and cat are included for all, and Pixel Pals Premium includes the other pals, as well as the option to pin two animals at once for supported devices. This app offers subscriptions for "Pixel Pals Premium". They're available (in United States pricing) for $1.49 monthly or $9.99 yearly. Subscriptions will automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period (and charged to your iTunes account). You can turn off auto-renew/manage subscriptions in your iTunes Account Settings after purchase. Terms of Use can be found at https://pixelpals.app/terms and Privacy Policy can be found at https://pixelpals.app/privacy

About

Pixel Pets

Adopt and care for adorable pixelated pets that live on your phone's screen, including your Lock Screen and Dynamic Island. Feed, play, and interact with your virtual companions to keep them happy and see their emotions change throughout the day.

Highlights
  • Adopt and care for virtual pixel pets
  • Pets displayed on Lock Screen, Dynamic Island, and Live Notifications
  • Interactive feeding and exercise mechanics
  • Pets change emotions and expressions
  • Transparent home screen widgets
  • Unlockable exclusive pets and features
Features
Read full description

Ever wanted to have your own special pet that animates on you phone? Meet Pixel Pets! You’ll be able take care of your own animal pet by feeding and interacting with your new best friend. You can find your pet displayed on your Lock Screen, Dynamic Island and even Live Notifications. 

There really is no better way to have more fun on your iPhone than this new cool app. 
There are now eight adorable pets that are live inside the app. They can't wait for you to add them to your widgets and start playing with them!
 Keep an eye out on your pet and see it change emotions and expressions throughout the day. You’ll need to feed your pet and also take them to exercise daily. Good friends look out for each other. Your pet will send you kisses when they’re happy!

 We also support transparent widgets. You can see them floating on your home screen. Some of our first Pixel Pets include:

 —“Dog” = Spot is your loving companion! He loves adventuring through the wilderness and following you. —“Cat” = Willow is your forever companion. She will follow you everywhere you go! Her favorite thing to do is sleep. But when you are near, she couldn't be more lively!
 —“Turtle” = Tyler-the-turtle is the wisest of them all. He is a young, smart turtle who can't wait to get to know you!
 —“Pig” = Jellybean is your partner. He will always be there for you, he loves exploring, adventuring, and of course... food!
 —“Frog” = Hopscotch is the fastest frog in the entire world. Catch him leaping all over as he follows you around!
 —“Duck” = Waddles is the cutest duck ever. She loves cuddling and following you around. Her soft feathers are super comfy! —“Wolf” = Fierce has the strongest will out of every companion. She is a strong mother wolf who won't let anyone hurt the ones she cares for.
 —“Bear” = Polly is scary at first, but once you get to know her, you realize she is the grizzliest teddy bear!



 Pay-once and unlock all pets and features. - Get access to exclusive pets and pet food + games by upgrading to our one-time lifetime upgrade fee of $9.99USD. Seriously, this is a great offer. What are you waiting for?! Subscription options: - You can subscribe to unlimited access for pro features including exclusive pets and pet food + games exclusive icons. 
Pixel Pets+ offers unlimited usage and unlocks all features for $4.99* monthly, with a yearly subscription option too.
 Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at the confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of renewal. Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user’s Account Settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that content. No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during the active subscription period. 

 *This price is for United States customers. Pricing may differ depending on your country and actual charges may be converted to your local currency of residence. The prices are equal to “Apple’s App Store Matrix” which determines the equivalent subscription price in USD. instagram.com/PixelPetsApp
 tiktok.com/@pixelpetsapp info.pixelpets@gmail.com Terms: https://twinstarcreatives.com/terms-and-conditions/
 Privacy: https://twinstarcreatives.com/privacy-policy/

Screenshots

Pixel Pals Widget Pet Game4 screens
Pixel Pets4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Pixel Pals Widget Pet Game at every 2 days against Pixel Pets's every 3 weeks. Pixel Pals Widget Pet Game also leads on chart position (#86 vs unranked) and ratings volume (37K vs 5.1K). Pixel Pets's advantage is review sentiment (57% vs 47%) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.3). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Pixel Pals Widget Pet Game sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $1.59 per month and Pixel Pets sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Pixel Pals Widget Pet Game against 4.7 for Pixel Pets. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pixel Pals Widget Pet Game has 37K ratings behind it against 5.1K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 47% of Pixel Pals Widget Pet Game's written reviews are positive against 57% of Pixel Pets's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pixel Pals Widget Pet Game ships an update every 2 days, Pixel Pets every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 30, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Pixel Pals Widget Pet Game versus Pixel Pets: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPixel Pals Widget Pet GamePixel Pets
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (37K ratings)4.7 (5.1K ratings) — better
Positive reviews47.3% of reviews56.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings37K — better5.1K
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#86 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.316.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size29 MB150 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChristian SeligTwinstar Creatives

Customer experience

Pixel Pals Widget Pet Game

All ratings36,266 ratings
Positive88.7%
Neutral4.1%
Negative7.2%
Written reviews768 reviews
Positive47.3%
Neutral14.3%
Negative38.4%

Pixel Pets

All ratings5,075 ratings
Positive91.7%
Neutral3.9%
Negative4.4%
Written reviews255 reviews
Positive56.9%
Neutral12.9%
Negative30.2%

User reviews

Pixel Pals Widget Pet Game

From 37K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Cute and fun
  • 👍 Great use of Dynamic Island
  • 👍 Customizable pets
  • 👍 Smooth integration with Apollo

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive subscription
  • 🐛 Buggy and unreliable
  • 🔒 Limited free features
  • 📵 Doesn't work well outside of app

Pixel Pets

From 5.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🐱 Cute pixel pets
  • 🎨 Aesthetic widget designs
  • 🔓 Some free content
  • 🕰️ Useful dynamic island integration

Room to improve

  • 💰 Many features locked behind paywall
  • 📚 Unwanted religious content
  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches
  • 🔒 Limited free options

Bugs and requests

Pixel Pals Widget Pet Game

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Resets progress and pets when phone restarts
  • Transparent background not working
  • Subscription issues and locked features
  • Pets disappearing from Dynamic Island

Requested features

4 requests
  • More free pet options
  • Ability to interact with pets outside of app
  • Syncing between Apollo and Pixel Pals
  • Customizable pet animations and behaviors

Pixel Pets

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Widgets not working as expected
  • Pets not showing up on dynamic island
  • Purchases not registering properly
  • Frequent crashes and app instability

Requested features

4 requests
  • More free pet and background options
  • Ability to customize or remove daily quotes
  • Improved widget functionality and customization
  • Tamagotchi-style mini-games and interactions

In-app purchases

8 purchases

Pixel Pals Widget Pet Game

Subscriptions4
  • Pixel Pals Premium Monthly BF$1.591 Month
  • Pixel Pals Premium (Monthly)3 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Pixel Pals Premium Yearly BF$11.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Pixel Pals Premium (Yearly)3 Days trial$14.991 Year
One-time4
  • Food Pack Small$0.99
  • Food Pack Large$4.99
  • Premium Lifetime Black Friday$48.49
Show 1 more
  • Pixel Pals Premium (Lifetime)$49.99
9 purchases

Pixel Pets

Subscriptions4
  • Pixel Pets+ (Discount Monthly)$5.991 Month
  • Premium$9.991 Month
  • Pixel Pets+ (Discount Monthly)$29.996 Months
Show 1 more
  • Premium3 Days trial$49.991 Year
One-time5
  • 150 Coins$0.99
  • 300 Coins$3.99
  • 450 Coins$5.99
Show 2 more
  • 650 Coins$7.99
  • Premium$9.99

Questions

Is Pixel Pals Widget Pet Game free?
Pixel Pals Widget Pet Game is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pixel Pets free?
Pixel Pets is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Pixel Pals Widget Pet Game or Pixel Pets?
Pixel Pets is rated higher. Pixel Pals Widget Pet Game averages 4.6 out of 5 from 37K ratings, while Pixel Pets averages 4.7 from 5.1K ratings.
Do Pixel Pals Widget Pet Game or Pixel Pets have ads?
Neither Pixel Pals Widget Pet Game nor Pixel Pets shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pixel Pals Widget Pet Game or Pixel Pets?
Pixel Pals Widget Pet Game ships an update every 2 days, and Pixel Pets every 3 weeks. Most recently, Pixel Pals Widget Pet Game was updated on October 30, 2026 and Pixel Pets on October 30, 2026.

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