# Planetary Idle vs Idle Expedition

The clearest difference is rating: Planetary Idle at 4.8 against Idle Expedition's 4.0. Idle Expedition's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ads (none vs shown). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Planetary Idle sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Idle Expedition asks for nothing beyond the download.

Planetary Idle holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 77 and 32 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 50% of Planetary Idle's written reviews are positive against 61% of Idle Expedition's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Planetary Idle ships an update weekly, Idle Expedition every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Planetary Idle | Idle Expedition |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (77 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planetary-idle/id6450142774/reviews)** | [4.0 (32 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-expedition/id6451124014/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **77** | 32 |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **60.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 112 MB | 121 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Roberto Frias Nerio](https://appshunter.io/developer/1692039143) | [Pixel Balloon LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1591690863) |

## What reviewers say

### Planetary Idle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planetary-idle/id6450142774)

Explore planets with a retro sci-fi idle theme. Hire scientists for passive income, tap for boosts, and research expeditions for discoveries. Prestige to reset with permanent upgrades and unlock perks with rare QBits.

**Highlights:** Hire Scientists for passive income, Tap to boost active income, Research expeditions for discoveries, Prestige system with permanent upgrades, Earn QBits for powerful perks, Offline progress for 6 hours

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Booster Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Research Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Quantum Pack | $6.99 | one-time |


### Idle Expedition

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-expedition/id6451124014)

This idle/clicker game offers pure gameplay with no ads or in-app purchases. Manage resources, upgrade your hero's traits and attributes, and send them on expeditions to gather rare currency and unlock your true potential.

**Highlights:** No ads or in-app purchases, Clicker gameplay for Gold and EXP, Idle expeditions for loot and Insight, Trait and attribute progression system, Chill soundtrack, Trophy and achievement tracking

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Planetary Idle free?

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

### Is Idle Expedition free?

Idle Expedition is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Planetary Idle or Idle Expedition?

Planetary Idle is rated higher. Planetary Idle averages 4.8 out of 5 from 77 ratings, while Idle Expedition averages 4.0 from 32 ratings.

### Do Planetary Idle or Idle Expedition have ads?

Planetary Idle shows ads; Idle Expedition does not.

### Which is updated more often, Planetary Idle or Idle Expedition?

Planetary Idle ships an update weekly, and Idle Expedition every 5 days. Most recently, Planetary Idle was updated on October 15, 2026 and Idle Expedition on October 9, 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.*