# Dark Notes vs Phial

The clearest difference is update cadence: Phial at every 6 days against Dark Notes's every 4 months. Dark Notes's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 14.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Dark Notes sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and Phial sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Dark Notes ships an update every 4 months, Phial every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dark Notes | Phial |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (30 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dark-notes-horror-games/id6480274643/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **30** | — |
| Positive reviews | 42.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 216 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [FUNNY GAME CO.,LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1182682106) | [Truong Bao](https://appshunter.io/developer/1869609337) |

## What reviewers say

### Dark Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dark-notes-horror-games/id6480274643)

Explore a dark mystery and puzzle adventure across time and space. Unravel secrets from dual perspectives, solve challenging puzzles, and experience a gripping narrative in a realistic, immersive environment.

**Highlights:** Dual-protagonist perspective, Time and space exploration, Multiple versions of truth, Challenging puzzles, Realistic graphic style, Immersive atmosphere

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 14 gold coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| 30 gold coins | $1.99 | one-time |
| 80 gold coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| 190 gold coins | $9.99 | one-time |
| 380 gold coins | $19.99 | one-time |


### Phial

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phial-water-sort-puzzle/id6764842936)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Dark Notes free?

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

### Is Phial free?

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

### Do Dark Notes or Phial have ads?

Both Dark Notes and Phial show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Dark Notes or Phial?

Dark Notes ships an update every 4 months, and Phial every 6 days. Most recently, Dark Notes was updated on October 24, 2026 and Phial on October 10, 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.*