Comparison

Pixel Evolution Lab vs Tiny Planet

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
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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

Tiny Planet

Features
Read full description

Turn a bare, grey rock into a living blue-green world, one percent at a time. Tiny Planet is a calm idle game. Fill your planet with water until the globe turns blue, then dirt, air, grass, trees, flowers and animals, and finally a moon of its own. Every element earns stardust, and stardust opens the next one. NOT JUST IDLE ANYMORE Your planet grows on its own, and now you can lend a hand. Drag to spin it, tap to catch what happens on it, and come back for a daily gift that grows over seven days. Miss a day? A free streak guard keeps your streak going. • Planet events: catch shooting stars, crack geodes, time the lightning, find lucky clovers and follow the herd. Every element brings a new one, and catching them in a row builds a streak. • Collection: catches can drop shells, gems, butterflies and more. Finish a set for a permanent perk and +5% income. • Powers: finished elements become powers. Make it rain, start a quake, call the herd or summon an eclipse. • Landmarks: rare finds unlock a lighthouse, a windmill, a rocket pad and more to place on your planet. • New planets: finish your world, then start a fresh one with its own shape and colors and +25% income for good. Finished planets are kept in a gallery. • Solar system: every finished planet joins your star in orbit. Pick its type and one power recharges faster for good, and your system unlocks moonlets, a comet, star rings and more as it grows. • Weekly challenge: one bigger goal every week, on top of three daily quests, for Starseeds and a medal. HOW IT PLAYS • Fill each element 1% at a time and see it spread across the spinning globe • Each element earns stardust every second, and doubles its income when it reaches 100% • Unlock the next element with the stardust you've grown • Tap the planet for a little extra stardust whenever you like EIGHT ELEMENTS • Water, dirt, air, grass, trees, flowers, animals and a moon • Each one changes how your planet looks, from the first puddles to herds on the plains • A full planet takes about two weeks of relaxed play IT GROWS WHILE YOU'RE AWAY • Your planet keeps earning for up to 8 hours while the app is closed • Come back to a welcome-back gift of everything it made CALM BY DESIGN • No timers to race, no energy bars, no pressure • Gentle sounds and haptics, both easy to switch off • Plays offline; your progress stays on your device FAIR AND OPTIONAL • Ads only play when you choose one: Ɨ2 income for 4 hours, a Ɨ3 gift, or Ɨ2 welcome-back earnings • Prefer none? One purchase removes ad offers for good and gives you Ɨ2 income forever, Ɨ3 gifts and Ɨ2 welcome-back earnings automatically No account, no sign-in. Just you and a tiny planet coming to life.

Screenshots

Pixel Evolution Lab4 screens
Tiny Planet4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Pixel Evolution Lab at none against Tiny Planet's shown. Tiny Planet's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 months). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. Pixel Evolution Lab sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Tiny Planet 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, Tiny Planet every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Ā· 4 level
Pixel Evolution Lab versus Tiny Planet: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPixel Evolution LabTiny Planet
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size12 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStefan HergertMohamed Ali

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Pixel Evolution Lab

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

Tiny Planet

One-time1
  • No Ads$2.99

Questions

Is Pixel Evolution Lab free?
Pixel Evolution Lab is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Tiny Planet free?
Tiny Planet is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Pixel Evolution Lab or Tiny Planet have ads?
Tiny Planet shows ads; Pixel Evolution Lab does not.
Which is updated more often, Pixel Evolution Lab or Tiny Planet?
Pixel Evolution Lab ships an update every 4 months, and Tiny Planet every 2 weeks. Most recently, Pixel Evolution Lab was updated on October 28, 2026 and Tiny Planet on November 6, 2026.

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