Comparison

PixOcean vs ThisTrail

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

PixOcean

Transform your device into a dynamic pixel ocean with a variety of fish that move realistically. Cultivate your underwater habitat, attract more marine life, and even integrate your daily steps to level up your sea. Enjoy a soothing, low-resource widget that brings a sense of companionship.

Highlights
  • Lifelike fish motion
  • Pixel-art aesthetic
  • Step count integration for progression
  • Sustainable growth loop
  • Low resource usage
  • Interactive marine life
Features
Read full description

PixOcean — Pixel Ocean lets you raise fish on your desktop! And the fish move! A desktop widget built entirely on standard system APIs, optimized for low resource usage. As you cultivate your sea, you’ll see more and more fish! You can also assemble various parts to accelerate the sea’s growth and quickly attract more fish. Integrated with your step count: use movement to level up your sea and enrich its biodiversity. Just like caring for a real aquarium, you’ll improve every aspect of the habitat to better attract schools of fish. PixOcean adopts a pixel-art aesthetic with depth and dimensionality, offering a rich variety of marine life. When your sea is teeming with fish, they’ll sometimes swim into the distance, becoming lively vistas; other times they’ll come right up to the screen, weaving nimbly at your fingertips. Whether it’s a quick peek or a quiet gaze, you’ll feel a continuous, light sense of companionship. - Lifelike, nuanced motion: every fish has its own swimming rhythm - A sustainable growth loop: your steps are the bait; your daily routine drives progression - Soothing companionship: a pocket-sized sea to enjoy between commutes, work, and rest - Efficient power use and stable performance: worry-free even during long-running animation - Pixel texture meets modern design: a balanced blend of retro charm and lively motion that gets better the more you look

About

ThisTrail

Features
Read full description

ThisTrail is a private, ad-free companion for hiking, running, walking, cycling, backpacking, and everyday adventures. RECORD EVERY OUTING Use iPhone or Apple Watch to capture your path, distance, time, pace or speed, elevation, heart rate, steps, and energy. Pause whenever you need, then pick up where you left off. Live Activities keep the essentials easy to see on iPhone. FOLLOW A ROUTE WITH CONFIDENCE Choose a saved or imported route before you set out. See the distance, ascent, and descent remaining to your next waypoint or the finish. ThisTrail also lets you know when your route progress is uncertain or you have moved away from the route. KEEP YOUR ADVENTURES TOGETHER Build a personal collection of trails and routes. Add photos and waypoints to remember useful places, viewpoints, and moments along the way—even on loops and out-and-back trips. BRING YOUR ROUTES WITH YOU Import and share GPX, KML, and KMZ files, or back up your ThisTrail collection for safekeeping. MADE FOR YOU, NOT ADVERTISERS Choose metric, imperial, or system units and keep your choice in sync with Apple Watch. Recording works without a data connection; maps load when connected. There are no ads, and ThisTrail does not collect your personal trail data. Apple Watch and HealthKit features require compatible Apple devices and permissions.

Screenshots

PixOcean4 screens
ThisTrail4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ThisTrail at none against PixOcean's 3. PixOcean's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.2). On price, update cadence, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. PixOcean sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. ThisTrail asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PixOcean ships an update every 4 days, ThisTrail weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
PixOcean versus ThisTrail: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPixOceanThisTrail
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (18 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews63.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings18 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.2
Further details — not scored
Size37 MB34 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer智戈 古Kongjian Network Technology (shanghai) Co., Ltd

In-app purchases

3 purchases

PixOcean

One-time3
  • 像素海洋完整权限解锁大礼包Free
  • PixOcean VIP(2)Free
  • 月影神杖$3.99
None

ThisTrail

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PixOcean free?
PixOcean is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ThisTrail free?
ThisTrail is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do PixOcean or ThisTrail have ads?
Neither PixOcean nor ThisTrail shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PixOcean or ThisTrail?
PixOcean ships an update every 4 days, and ThisTrail weekly. Most recently, PixOcean was updated on October 13, 2026 and ThisTrail on September 27, 2026.

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