# Pixel Pets vs Petopia

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Pixel Pets at 5.1K against Petopia's 8. Pixel Pets also leads on iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). Petopia's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pixel Pets sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Petopia sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Petopia holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pixel Pets has 5.1K ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Pixel Pets ships an update every 3 weeks, Petopia every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pixel Pets | Petopia |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (5.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-pets-cute-widget-app/id6444085825/reviews) | **[5.0 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/petopia-pixel-pets/id6759053024/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **5.1K** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | 56.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 116 MB | 62 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Twinstar Creatives](https://appshunter.io/developer/1378171714) | [Shogo Shibuya](https://appshunter.io/developer/1671795647) |

## What reviewers say

### Pixel Pets

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-pets-cute-widget-app/id6444085825)

Bring adorable animated pets to your iPhone's Lock Screen, Dynamic Island, and home screen widgets. Care for your virtual companions by feeding and playing with them, and watch their emotions change throughout the day. Unlock a variety of cute animals to keep you company.

**Highlights:** Animated pets on Lock Screen, Dynamic Island, and widgets, Interactive pet care: feeding and exercise, Pets display changing emotions, Transparent home screen widgets, Variety of eight unlockable pets, Daily interaction and care

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pixel Pets+ (Discount Monthly) | $5.99 | per month |
| Premium | $9.99 | per month |
| Pixel Pets+ (Discount Monthly) | $29.99 | per 6 months |
| Premium | $49.99 | per year |
| 150 Coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| 300 Coins | $3.99 | one-time |
| 450 Coins | $5.99 | one-time |
| 650 Coins | $7.99 | one-time |
| Premium | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

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


### Petopia

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/petopia-pixel-pets/id6759053024)

Bring adorable pixel art animals to your iPhone's Dynamic Island, Home Screen, and Lock Screen. These companions change expressions with the time of day and react to your interactions, offering a cozy, ad-free experience with optional one-time purchases for premium pets and outfits.

**Highlights:** Dynamic Island pet integration, Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets, Time-based pet expressions, Interactive pet reactions, Seasonal costumes for pets, Daily rewards and fortunes, Ad-free experience

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 100 Candies | $0.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| 350 Candies | $2.99 | one-time |
| 800 Candies | $5.99 | one-time |
| 2500 Candies | $14.99 | one-time |
| 6000 Candies | $29.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pixel Pets free?

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

### Is Petopia free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pixel Pets or Petopia?

Petopia is rated higher. Pixel Pets averages 4.7 out of 5 from 5.1K ratings, while Petopia averages 5.0 from 8 ratings.

### Do Pixel Pets or Petopia have ads?

Neither Pixel Pets nor Petopia shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pixel Pets or Petopia?

Pixel Pets ships an update every 3 weeks, and Petopia every 10 days. Most recently, Pixel Pets was updated on October 23, 2026 and Petopia on October 7, 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.*