# Fish Dept. vs Idle Bonsai

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Fish Dept. | Idle Bonsai |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-bonsai/id6781393612/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **3** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 27 MB | 57 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 16.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Weimeng Gong](https://appshunter.io/developer/1145453860) | [Nordeste Digital LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/6781393614) |

## What reviewers say

### Fish Dept.

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fish-dept/id6758567264)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Idle Bonsai

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-bonsai/id6781393612)

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.

**Highlights:** Unique procedurally generated trees, Offline growth mechanics, Watering and pruning gameplay, Sell and collect finished bonsai, Calm and relaxing experience

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Handful of Gems | $1.99 | one-time |
| Disable Ads | $3.99 | one-time |
| Bag of Gems | $4.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Chest of Gems | $9.99 | one-time |
| Epic Pack | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Fish Dept. free?

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

### Is Idle Bonsai free?

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

### Do Fish Dept. or Idle Bonsai have ads?

Idle Bonsai shows ads; Fish Dept. does not.

### Which is updated more often, Fish Dept. or Idle Bonsai?

Fish Dept. ships an update every 3 weeks, and Idle Bonsai every 9 days. Most recently, Fish Dept. was updated on October 31, 2026 and Idle Bonsai on October 31, 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.*