Fish Dept. vs Idle Bonsai
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Fish Dept.
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- One-tap switch between Work Mode and Fish Mode. When the boss alert shows up, hide instantly. - Tap to feed—fish grow and generate coins. - Unlock new fish and tank upgrades in the shop to build your desk aquarium. - Daily login bonus, but if you’re away too long there’s a small penalty (coins deducted / a fish may leave).
Idle Bonsai
A relaxing incremental game where you cultivate a unique, procedurally generated bonsai tree. Care for your tree by watering and pruning, and watch it grow even when you're offline. Sell your finished creations to start new, distinct trees.
- Unique procedurally generated trees
- Offline growth mechanics
- Watering and pruning gameplay
- Sell and collect finished bonsai
- Calm and relaxing experience
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Every bonsai you grow is one of a kind. Idle Bonsai is a calm incremental game about tending a tree that's genuinely yours. Each tree grows procedurally — branch by branch, shaped by how you water, prune, and care for it. No two ever grow the same. It grows while you're away. Check in for a quiet minute of pruning, set things in motion, and come back to find your tree taller, fuller, and a little more itself. No timers begging you to return — your bonsai just grows. Shape it. Sell it. Start again. When a tree's story is done, score it, sell it, and begin a new one — every finished bonsai is remembered in your collection, and every new seed grows differently.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Fish Dept. at none against Idle Bonsai's 6. Fish Dept. also leads on ads (none vs shown). Idle Bonsai's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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. Idle Bonsai sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Fish Dept. asks for nothing beyond the download.
Fish Dept. ships an update every 3 weeks, Idle Bonsai every 9 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.
| Parameter | Fish Dept. | Idle Bonsai |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 3 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 9 days — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 16.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 27 MB | 57 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Weimeng Gong | Nordeste Digital LLC |
In-app purchases
Fish Dept.
No in-app purchases
Idle Bonsai
- Handful of Gems$1.99
- Disable Ads$3.99
- Bag of Gems$4.99
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- Starter Pack$4.99
- Chest of Gems$9.99
- Epic Pack$19.99
