Shardlings vs Sproutlings
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Shardlings
Explore a magical universe filled with mystical creatures across six distinct tribes. Discover and collect unique Shardlings, each with its own lore, abilities, and stunning artwork. Enjoy interactive profiles and animations in immersive worlds.
- Discover 60 unique Shardlings
- Explore 6 distinct tribes
- Collect creatures of different rarities
- Interactive creature profiles
- Stunning visual effects and animations
- Weekly free character hatching
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Enter Shardria, a creature-collecting RPG where every discovery can join your story and battle squad. Journey through six story Acts and 18 regions. Complete 144 trials, uncover stories and secrets, meet 180 original Shardlings, and command a three-companion squad in tactical turn-based Resonance Duels. Level favorites from 1–50, unlock abilities, Awaken and Ascend allies, and face every challenge. EXPLORE A STORY-DRIVEN WORLD • Follow a complete Journey across six Acts, 18 regions, and 144 trials • Meet realm characters and uncover tribe stories, quests, and secrets • Earn stars, Keeper XP, Echo Dust, and tribe mastery • Unlock tribes, challenges, and level caps through play • Explore in an experience designed for iPhone • Play without a battle stamina timer COMMAND A THREE-SHARDLING SQUAD • Build a three-companion team with helpful Heart Echo fill-ins • Learn six readable combat families, distinct roles, passives, powers, Guard, Relay, and signatures • Make every move count in short, deterministic turn-based Resonance Duels • Combine companion traits and abilities into your own strategy • Level companions from 1–50, then Awaken, Ascend, and pursue Eternal Form • Reshape your squad for new trials DISCOVER 180 ORIGINAL SHARDLINGS Every Shardling has original artwork, a personality, a tribe, a combat identity, and a story. • Meet Sprites, Luminaries, and rare Regents across eighteen imaginative tribes • Complete tribe albums and track every discovery • Find cosmetic Aurora and Starforged Aspects • Turn duplicate discoveries into Echo Dust • Search, filter, share, and bond with favorites BOND THROUGH CONVERSATION Chat with companions in playful, in-character conversations. Shardlings labels these as AI-powered and asks permission before sending text to our AI provider. Replies can be inaccurate; do not share sensitive information. A REWARDING DAILY RITUAL • Receive an included starter companion • Claim an included weekly Shard • Complete daily quests and grow a visit streak • Earn XP and Echo Dust • Receive one bonus hatch each calendar month THE KEEPER SHOP Optional purchases help members grow collections and train a wider roster: • Single, three-pack, and ten-pack Shards saved in a non-expiring Shard Vault • Bond Sparks that advance a favorite companion by one bond level • Training Sparks that each grant a fixed 120 combat XP, capped by Journey progress • A one-time Keeper Chest with 12 Shards, 5 Bond Sparks, and a permanent Prismatic Aura Training Sparks cannot buy stars, trials, Ascension, ranked power, or victory. Combat XP and bonds are also earned through play. Purchased Shards use two disclosed random outcomes: Rarity: Sprite 70%, Luminary 20%, Regent 10%. Regent Radiance guarantees a Regent by the tenth purchased Shard without one. Any Regent resets the meter. Cosmetic Aspect: Origin 94%, Aurora 5%, Starforged 1%. Aspects never change gameplay power. Duplicates become 50–200 Echo Dust. Shardlings, Shards, Sparks, XP, Echo Dust, and cosmetics have no cash value and cannot be traded or redeemed for money. SHARDLINGS PLUS ACCESS A Shardlings Plus subscription is required after onboarding to access the app. Monthly and yearly prices are displayed in your local currency before purchase. Membership includes the 180-companion Journey, a starter and weekly Shard, daily and battle progression, stories and chats, one monthly bonus hatch, and a cosmetic Keeper aura. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in Apple Subscriptions. Restore Purchases is available on the access screen and in the app. Privacy Policy: https://shardlings.web.app/privacy Terms of Use: https://shardlings.web.app/terms Support: https://shardlings.web.app/support
Sproutlings
Hatch and raise unique creatures in a personalized sanctuary. Design habitats, keep your creatures happy, and embark on expeditions to find more. Play minigames to earn rewards and build the ultimate home for your growing collection.
- Hatch mysterious creature eggs
- Design and build creature habitats
- Care for creature needs (water, food, love)
- Embark on rescue expeditions
- Play minigames for rewards
- Collect common, shiny, and legendary creatures
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Welcome to Sproutlings. Hatch adorable sprouting eggs and build the sanctuary of their dreams. Hatch mysterious eggs to discover new Sproutlings some common, some shiny, and a rare few that are truly legendary. Design a cozy home with barns, ponds, flower gardens, and wheat fields, then watch your Sproutlings roam, play, and thrive in the world you've created. Keep them happy with fresh water, shelter, food, and love. Embark on expeditions to find lost Sproutlings waiting to be rescued, and play fun minigames to earn essence and xp. Every creature deserves a home. Every sanctuary tells a story. What will yours be?
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Sproutlings at 100% against Shardlings's 50%. Sproutlings also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.1). Shardlings's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Shardlings sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days and Sproutlings sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Shardlings ships an update weekly, Sproutlings every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Shardlings | Sproutlings |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 3 — better |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Subscription | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 16.1 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 296 MB | 143 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Inova Platforms, Inc. | Vibe Coding Basics LLC |
Customer experience
Shardlings
Sproutlings
In-app purchases
Shardlings
- Weekly 3.99$3.997 Days
- shardlings$6.991 Month
- shardlings ultra weekly$29.997 Days
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- sharings yearly$44.991 Year
- shardlings ultra yearly$389.991 Year
- Training Spark Trio$1.99
- Hatch Now$2.99
- Training Spark Cache$7.99
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- Constellation Vault$17.99
- Sprite Shardling Unlock$19.99
- Creation Spark$49.99
- Luminary Shardling Unlock$59.99
- Regent Shardling Unlock$99.99
Sproutlings
- Buy 1000 essence$0.99
- buy 3500 essence!$2.99
- Lifetime No Ads$4.99
Show 2 moreShow fewer
- Buy 9000 essence!$6.99
- Buy 20,000 essence!$14.99
Questions
Is Shardlings free?
Is Sproutlings free?
Do Shardlings or Sproutlings have ads?
Which is updated more often, Shardlings or Sproutlings?
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