Comparison

Pixel Pets vs SpritePals

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

Head to head
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/

About

SpritePals

Transform your pet into a retro pixel companion for your iPhone's Dynamic Island, Lock Screen, and Home Screen widgets. Feed, play, and care for your digital pal, or choose from a variety of pre-made pixel pets. Enjoy a charming and interactive experience with your unique screen-based friend.

Highlights
  • AI pixel pet creation from photos
  • Ready-made retro pixel pals
  • Dynamic Island integration
  • Lock Screen Live Activities
  • Home Screen widgets
  • Interactive pet care (feed, play)
Features
Read full description

Turn your real pet into a retro digital companion for iPhone and Apple Watch. Care for your SpritePal and build a little world for them to explore. SpritePals lets you create a pixel pet with AI from a photo of your cat, dog, or favorite animal. Want to jump right in? Choose a ready-made SpritePal from the collection and keep them close on Dynamic Island, in Lock Screen Live Activities, and in Home Screen widgets. Feed your SpritePal, give them water, wash them, and play fetch together. Caring and playing earn XP and points. Your pal levels up, and you can spend your points on tiles, trees, houses, and other decorations. Every little moment of care helps your world grow. Features: - AI pixel pets: turn a photo of your cat, dog, or favorite animal into your own SpritePal - Your own world: lay tiles, place decorations, and watch your pal wander through the world you build - Feed, play, and care: serve food and water, wash your pal, and play a game of fetch - Levels and points: earn XP by caring for your pal and use your points to keep building - Pet widgets: add your SpritePal to your iPhone Home Screen or Lock Screen - Dynamic Island and Live Activities: keep your digital companion in view, even outside the app - Apple Watch: bring your SpritePal to your wrist and view your world there too - Ready-made SpritePals: choose from a collection of retro pixel companions More possibilities with Pro: Unlock every ready-made SpritePal, extra food choices, and more room to expand your world, including all decorative tiles and Pro objects. Pro also includes Apple Watch complications, a second pal in Live Activities, and custom app icon export. Receive a one-time bonus of 10 tokens to generate your own SpritePals. From a photo of your pet to a little world in your pocket: create your first SpritePal and take them wherever you go.

Screenshots

Pixel Pets4 screens
SpritePals4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Pixel Pets at 4.7 against SpritePals's 4.1. Pixel Pets also leads on ratings volume (5.1K vs 14) and review sentiment (57% vs 33%). SpritePals's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 Pets sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and SpritePals sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Pixel Pets holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pixel Pets has 5.1K ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 57% of Pixel Pets's written reviews are positive against 33% of SpritePals's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pixel Pets ships an update every 3 weeks, SpritePals every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Pixel Pets versus SpritePals: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPixel PetsSpritePals
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (5.1K ratings) — better4.1 (14 ratings)
Positive reviews56.9% of reviews — better33.3% of reviews
Number of ratings5.1K — better14
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size150 MB96 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTwinstar CreativesIvo van der Zee

Customer experience

Pixel Pets

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

SpritePals

All ratings13 ratings
Positive69.2%
Neutral23.1%
Negative7.7%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral66.7%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

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

SpritePals

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

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
4 purchases

SpritePals

One-time4
  • 1 token$0.99
  • 3 tokens$1.99
  • 10 tokens$3.99
Show 1 more
  • Pro (one-time)$5.99

Questions

Is Pixel Pets free?
Pixel Pets is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SpritePals free?
SpritePals is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Pixel Pets or SpritePals?
Pixel Pets is rated higher. Pixel Pets averages 4.7 out of 5 from 5.1K ratings, while SpritePals averages 4.1 from 14 ratings.
Do Pixel Pets or SpritePals have ads?
Neither Pixel Pets nor SpritePals shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pixel Pets or SpritePals?
Pixel Pets ships an update every 3 weeks, and SpritePals every 9 days. Most recently, Pixel Pets was updated on November 7, 2026 and SpritePals on November 5, 2026.

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