# Ethos Idle vs Idle Chest

The clearest difference is rating: Ethos Idle at 4.8 against Idle Chest's 4.5. On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

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

Ethos Idle holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 242 and 109 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 84% of Ethos Idle's written reviews are positive against 81% of Idle Chest's.

Ethos Idle ships an update every 3 weeks, Idle Chest every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ethos Idle | Idle Chest |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (242 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ethos-idle/id6737059942/reviews)** | [4.5 (109 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-chest/id6744372975/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **242** | 109 |
| Positive reviews | **84.4% of reviews** | 80.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 101 MB | 192 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Graham Goldstein](https://appshunter.io/developer/1618966149) | [Thomas Gunzburger](https://appshunter.io/developer/1807389356) |

## What reviewers say

### Ethos Idle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ethos-idle/id6737059942)

Guide humanity's progress from its earliest discoveries to the distant future. Manage your tribe's choices, develop over 200 unique ideas, and explore the world. Advance your civilization, unlock bonuses, and enjoy a single-player, offline experience with optional ads.

**Highlights:** Develop over 200 historic ideas, Explore and exploit the world, Manage tribe choices, Unlock exploration bonuses and synergies, Prestige mechanic upgrades, Customizable challenge scenarios, Offline single-player experience

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| x2 Speed | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast progression
- 👍 Minimal ad interruption
- 👍 Simple and enjoyable design
- 👍 Great for relaxing and watching numbers go up
- 👍 Excellent incremental game design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐢 Slower progression speed desired
- 🛒 IAP for 2x production doesn't eliminate video ads

**Reported bugs**

- RNG for challenges is unfair and unfun
- Unlocking buffs for inaccessible technologies

**Requested features**

- Option to remove ads entirely
- Clarification on prestige warp gain multipliers


### Idle Chest

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-chest/id6744372975)

Embark on a treasure-hunting adventure where every click earns rewards. Upgrade your skills, collect and enhance equipment, and unlock unique abilities. Discover the secrets of this world through engaging gameplay and an addictive incremental experience.

**Highlights:** Open various chests, Loot and upgrade equipment, Buy skill upgrades, Unlock unique skills, Discover game story

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Underwater Background Skin | $3.99 | one-time |
| Underwater Chests Skin | $3.99 | one-time |
| Underwater Acolytes Skin | $3.99 | one-time |
| No Ads | $3.99 | one-time |
| Underwater Complete Skins Pack | $8.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun short idle clicker
- 👍 Consistent theme
- 👍 Enjoyable experience
- 👍 Minimalistic but rewarding grind
- 💰 Non-intrusive ads

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Game breaking bug with 'Chosen One' minion
- 🔍 Difficult to compare tap damage to acolyte damage
- 🔍 Some explanations could be improved
- 🔍 Slightly linear progression

**Reported bugs**

- Progress resets or reverts
- Minions not working after equipping 'Chosen One'

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Better UI for comparing damage sources


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ethos Idle free?

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

### Is Idle Chest free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Ethos Idle or Idle Chest?

Ethos Idle is rated higher. Ethos Idle averages 4.8 out of 5 from 242 ratings, while Idle Chest averages 4.5 from 109 ratings.

### Do Ethos Idle or Idle Chest have ads?

Both Ethos Idle and Idle Chest show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Ethos Idle or Idle Chest?

Ethos Idle ships an update every 3 weeks, and Idle Chest every 10 days. Most recently, Ethos Idle was updated on November 4, 2026 and Idle Chest 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.*