Comparison

Pixel Evolution Lab vs Pixel Algo

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

Head to head
About

Pixel Evolution Lab

Features
Read full description

Watch life emerge from a few simple rules. Pixel Evolution Lab is a beautiful, fast simulator for cellular automata – the mathematical worlds made famous by Conway's Game of Life. Each cell only looks at its eight neighbors. Yet out of random noise, gliders take flight, oscillators pulse and whole cities of still lifes appear. No plan, no script – order simply emerges. Version 2.0 is a complete redesign: the simulation fills the entire screen, the controls float above it, and every change you make in the lab is visible instantly. EXPLORE • Full-screen simulation powered by Metal – smooth even with hundreds of thousands of cells • Pinch to zoom, drag to explore, double-tap to see the whole world • Play, pause, single step and speeds from 1 to 60 generations per second, plus Turbo • Afterglow: dying cells fade out slowly and reveal motion and history • Evolution tracker with population, density, births and deaths DISCOVER • Pattern library with explanations: glider, spaceships, pulsar, pentadecathlon, the Gosper glider gun and famous methuselahs like the R-pentomino, Acorn and Diehard • 18 universes with different laws of nature – from Conway's Life and HighLife to Day & Night, Maze, Coral, Amoeba and Replicator • 9 color worlds, from phosphor green to amber, ice, magma and paper CREATE (PRO) • Draw and erase cells right in the field – with your finger or Apple Pencil, with undo • Build your own rules in B/S notation • Mix your own colors • Save your creations in your own gallery RELAX • Ambient mode hides all controls, keeps the screen on and starts a new world whenever the current one settles – a digital campfire for your desk • Share beautiful pictures of your worlds • The app remembers where you left off FREE AND FAIR The free version includes the full simulation with zoom, single step and Turbo, three universes, three color worlds, afterglow and four classic patterns. Pro unlocks everything else with a single one-time purchase – no subscription. No ads. No tracking. No account. Your worlds stay on your device. Download Pixel Evolution Lab and start your first universe.

About

Pixel Algo

Features
Read full description

Pixel Algo brings Conway's Game of Life to your fingertips as a beautiful, interactive cellular automaton sandbox. Watch cells evolve, collide, and create emergent patterns — or take control and shape the grid yourself. FEATURES • Draw and erase cells with your finger • Place classic patterns: Glider, Pulsar, Gosper Gun, and more • Glass block and iridescent visual effects • Colony colors to track cell lineages • Cycle through color palettes automatically • Save and load grid snapshots • Adjustable simulation speed • Wrap-around or bounded edges • Auto-reset when the grid stagnates • Shake to clear the grid CONTROLS • 2-finger tap to pause/resume • Draw on the grid to create cells (when paused) • Double-tap to clear or randomize • Vertical drag to adjust speed • 3-finger tap to open the menu Pixel Algo is free with minimal, non-intrusive ads. Purchase Remove Ads once to enjoy an ad-free experience forever.

Screenshots

Pixel Evolution Lab4 screens
Pixel Algo4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Pixel Evolution Lab at none against Pixel Algo's shown. On price, update cadence, in-app purchases 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. Pixel Evolution Lab sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Pixel Algo sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pixel Evolution Lab ships an update every 4 months, Pixel Algo every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 5 level
Pixel Evolution Lab versus Pixel Algo: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPixel Evolution LabPixel Algo
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size12 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStefan HergertShin Labs LLC

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Pixel Evolution Lab

One-time1
  • Pixel Evolution Pro Upgrade$1.99
1 purchases

Pixel Algo

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$1.99

Questions

Is Pixel Evolution Lab free?
Pixel Evolution Lab is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pixel Algo free?
Pixel Algo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Pixel Evolution Lab or Pixel Algo have ads?
Pixel Algo shows ads; Pixel Evolution Lab does not.
Which is updated more often, Pixel Evolution Lab or Pixel Algo?
Pixel Evolution Lab ships an update every 4 months, and Pixel Algo every 2 months. Most recently, Pixel Evolution Lab was updated on October 28, 2026 and Pixel Algo on October 31, 2026.

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