# POOLS™ vs Ghost Story School

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Ghost Story School at none against POOLS™'s 1. Ghost Story School also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and update cadence (daily vs monthly). POOLS™'s advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (1.8K vs 1). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. POOLS™ sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Ghost Story School asks for nothing beyond the download.

Ghost Story School holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: POOLS™ has 1.8K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

POOLS™ ships an update monthly, Ghost Story School daily. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | POOLS™ | Ghost Story School |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pools/id6670792878/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ghost-story-school/id6740691251/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.8K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 80.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 1.9 GB | 386 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Tensori](https://appshunter.io/developer/1767614989) | [Puffything Games Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1791042476) |

## What reviewers say

### POOLS™

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pools/id6670792878)

This app offers a slow, reflective, and immersive experience focused on exploration and atmosphere. It evokes feelings of unease and curiosity through its unique environments, inspired by liminal spaces and internet phenomena. Discover changing worlds and subtle narratives without traditional gameplay mechanics.

**Highlights:** Slow, reflective exploration, Atmospheric and immersive environments, Inspired by liminal spaces, Unfolding narrative through exploration, Six distinct chapters, Unique sound design

**Features:** Game Controller support, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| POOLS: Full Game | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Immersive experience
- 🔒 No ads
- 👍 Incredible attention to detail
- 👍 Realistic graphics and sound
- 👍 Eerie and creepy atmosphere

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Boring after a while
- 🐛 Lack of variety in environments

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to move on iPad Pro
- Glitches reported

**Requested features**

- Expand to different Backrooms-inspired themes
- Add a multiplayer mode
- Introduce more interactive elements (e.g., monsters, items to discover)


### Ghost Story School

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ghost-story-school/id6740691251)

Engage in a simple yet captivating game where you observe illustrations to find hidden anomalies. Tap on anything unusual you discover to progress. It's a straightforward puzzle experience designed for quick play.

**Highlights:** Simple tap controls, Illustration-based puzzles, Spot the difference gameplay, Quick play sessions

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is POOLS™ free?

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

### Is Ghost Story School free?

Ghost Story School is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, POOLS™ or Ghost Story School?

Ghost Story School is rated higher. POOLS™ averages 4.5 out of 5 from 1.8K ratings, while Ghost Story School averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do POOLS™ or Ghost Story School have ads?

Ghost Story School shows ads; POOLS™ does not.

### Which is updated more often, POOLS™ or Ghost Story School?

POOLS™ ships an update monthly, and Ghost Story School daily. Most recently, POOLS™ was updated on November 4, 2026 and Ghost Story School on October 28, 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.*