# HatchPals vs Nova

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Nova at none against HatchPals's 6. Nova also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 5 weeks). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. HatchPals sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Nova asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for HatchPals against 5.0 for Nova. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 4 respectively.

HatchPals ships an update every 5 weeks, Nova weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HatchPals | Nova |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hatchpals/id6758237581/reviews) | [5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nova-space-strategy-game/id6780326157/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **4** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 222 MB | 51 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Revolving Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/1529330116) | [Kevin Gilpin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1804481222) |

## What reviewers say

### HatchPals

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hatchpals/id6758237581)

Care for adorable creatures that hatch from eggs, helping them grow and evolve. Customize their habitats and engage in both active and idle gameplay to earn rewards and improve your trainer rank.

**Highlights:** Hatch and care for creatures, Creature growth and evolution, Habitat design and decoration, Idle progression gameplay, Earn Trainer Points, Improve trainer rank

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 200 Gold | $1.99 | one-time |
| 550 Gold | $4.99 | one-time |
| 1200 Gold | $9.99 | one-time |
| 2600 Gold | $19.99 | one-time |
| 7000 Gold | $49.99 | one-time |
| 15000 Gold | $99.99 | one-time |


### Nova

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nova-space-strategy-game/id6780326157)

Command a star fleet in a real-time galactic conquest game. Engage in strategic battles, forge binding diplomatic contracts, and manage your empire efficiently. Play at your own pace, from quick sprints to long campaigns, with background notifications keeping you informed.

**Highlights:** Real-time galactic conquest, Binding diplomatic contracts, Fog of war for strategic depth, Customizable game pace and duration, Background notifications, Map editor for custom galaxies

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HatchPals free?

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

### Is Nova free?

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

### Which has better reviews, HatchPals or Nova?

HatchPals and Nova are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 4 ratings respectively.

### Do HatchPals or Nova have ads?

Neither HatchPals nor Nova shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, HatchPals or Nova?

HatchPals ships an update every 5 weeks, and Nova weekly. Most recently, HatchPals was updated on October 7, 2026 and Nova on October 12, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*