# POOLS™ vs Mind The Door

The clearest difference is ads: POOLS™ at none against Mind The Door's shown. POOLS™ also leads on rating (4.5 vs 4.2) and ratings volume (1.8K vs 394). Mind The Door's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 4 weeks) and monetization model (ad-supported vs free with in-app purchases). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. POOLS™ sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Mind The Door sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

POOLS™ holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.8K and 394 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of POOLS™'s written reviews are positive against 73% of Mind The Door's.

POOLS™ ships an update every 4 weeks, Mind The Door every 9 days. Both last shipped on November 10, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | POOLS™ | Mind The Door |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pools/id6670792878/reviews)** | [4.2 (394 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mind-the-door/id6758810058/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.8K** | 394 |
| Positive reviews | **80.3% of reviews** | 72.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#142** |
| Size | 1.9 GB | 254 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Tensori](https://appshunter.io/developer/1767614989) | [Mind Wasted](https://appshunter.io/developer/1843218176) |

## What reviewers say

### POOLS™

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

Explore, admire, and listen in this slow, reflective experience. It's an intentionally uneventful journey through uncanny and eerie environments, rewarding patience and quiet attention. Discover a world that subtly changes as you advance, inspired by internet phenomena like liminal spaces and The Backrooms.

**Highlights:** Exploration-focused gameplay, Relaxing and reflective atmosphere, Eerie and uncanny environments, Slow-paced, uneventful experience, World changes as you advance, Six chapters, 10-30 minutes each

**Features:** Game Controller support, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo 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)


### Mind The Door

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mind-the-door/id6758810058)

**Currently charting:** #142 Top Free · Strategy (US App Store)

A minimalist survival game where players make a single, life-or-death choice between two doors. Success is fleeting, and failure is frequent, with a unique progression system and integrated leaderboards.

**Highlights:** Single choice mechanic, No tutorials or hand-holding, Dynamic player feedback, Streak system, Helpful clues and props, Achievements and collectibles, Game Center integration

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $7.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is POOLS™ free?

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

### Is Mind The Door free?

Mind The Door is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, POOLS™ or Mind The Door?

POOLS™ is rated higher. POOLS™ averages 4.5 out of 5 from 1.8K ratings, while Mind The Door averages 4.2 from 394 ratings.

### Do POOLS™ or Mind The Door have ads?

Mind The Door shows ads; POOLS™ does not.

### Which is updated more often, POOLS™ or Mind The Door?

POOLS™ ships an update every 4 weeks, and Mind The Door every 9 days. Most recently, POOLS™ was updated on November 10, 2026 and Mind The Door on November 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.*