# POOLS™ vs Excalirhythm

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Excalirhythm at none against POOLS™'s 1. Excalirhythm also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months). POOLS™'s advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

POOLS™ ships an update every 2 months, Excalirhythm every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | POOLS™ | Excalirhythm |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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 | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 1.9 GB | 169 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) | [Mooncheon Song](https://appshunter.io/developer/625976926) |

## 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)


### Excalirhythm

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/excalirhythm/id6794543709)

**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 Excalirhythm free?

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

### Do POOLS™ or Excalirhythm have ads?

Excalirhythm shows ads; POOLS™ does not.

### Which is updated more often, POOLS™ or Excalirhythm?

POOLS™ ships an update every 2 months, and Excalirhythm every 5 days. Most recently, POOLS™ was updated on September 26, 2026 and Excalirhythm on September 21, 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.*