# POOLS™ vs Cheat Guide

The clearest difference is update cadence: Cheat Guide at monthly against POOLS™'s every 2 months. POOLS™'s advantage is device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.0). On price, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. POOLS™ sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Cheat Guide sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

POOLS™ ships an update every 2 months, Cheat Guide monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | POOLS™ | Cheat Guide |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (1.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pools/id6670792878/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1.6K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 78.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 1.9 GB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Tensori](https://appshunter.io/developer/1767614989) | [Dumitru Davidov](https://appshunter.io/developer/6785534183) |

## 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)


### Cheat Guide

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cheat-guide/id6787500544)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cheat Guide Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Cheat Guide - 1 year | $9.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is POOLS™ free?

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

### Is Cheat Guide free?

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

### Do POOLS™ or Cheat Guide have ads?

Neither POOLS™ nor Cheat Guide shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, POOLS™ or Cheat Guide?

POOLS™ ships an update every 2 months, and Cheat Guide monthly. Most recently, POOLS™ was updated on September 29, 2026 and Cheat Guide on September 13, 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.*