# Ryugotchi vs VirtualHamster

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Ryugotchi at none against VirtualHamster's 1. VirtualHamster's advantage is device support (4 vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. VirtualHamster sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Ryugotchi asks for nothing beyond the download.

Ryugotchi ships an update monthly, VirtualHamster every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ryugotchi | VirtualHamster |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ryugotchi/id6757317614/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 137 MB | 21 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [anthony deniau](https://appshunter.io/developer/1474446124) | [Ian Lander](https://appshunter.io/developer/1689920635) |

## What reviewers say

### Ryugotchi

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ryugotchi/id6757317614)

Adopt and nurture a virtual dragon from egg to adult. Engage in mini-games, explore biomes for treasures, and collect items. Features an iOS widget and smart notifications for offline play.

**Highlights:** Dragon evolution through 3 stages, Play mini-games to earn XP, Explore biomes and discover treasures, Collect items and elemental essences, iOS home screen widget, Smart notifications, 100% offline gameplay

**In-app purchases:** none


### VirtualHamster

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtualhamster/id6759629384)

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Version | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ryugotchi free?

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

### Is VirtualHamster free?

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

### Do Ryugotchi or VirtualHamster have ads?

Neither Ryugotchi nor VirtualHamster shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Ryugotchi or VirtualHamster?

Ryugotchi ships an update monthly, and VirtualHamster every 6 weeks. Most recently, Ryugotchi was updated on October 14, 2026 and VirtualHamster on October 12, 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.*