# Idle Alchemist vs Idle Forge

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Idle Forge at none against Idle Alchemist's 10. Idle Forge also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Idle Alchemist sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Idle Forge asks for nothing beyond the download.

Idle Alchemist ships an update every 2 months, Idle Forge weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Idle Alchemist | Idle Forge |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Weekly** |
| Size | 103 MB | 78 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Parity Crest Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896634651) | [Erik Tobias Rinde Tharaldsen](https://appshunter.io/developer/1793625254) |

## What reviewers say

### Idle Alchemist

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-alchemist/id6770255429)

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Aether Pouch | $0.99 | one-time |
| Gold Coin Purse | $0.99 | one-time |
| Crystal Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Aether Chest | $3.99 | one-time |
| Gold Strongbox | $3.99 | one-time |
| Phoenix Feathers | $4.99 | one-time |
| Master Alchemist Bundle | $9.99 | one-time |
| Mooneye Pearl | $9.99 | one-time |
| Aether Vault | $14.99 | one-time |
| Gold Dragon Hoard | $14.99 | one-time |


### Idle Forge

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-forge/id6801607211)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Idle Alchemist free?

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

### Is Idle Forge free?

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

### Do Idle Alchemist or Idle Forge have ads?

Both Idle Alchemist and Idle Forge show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Idle Alchemist or Idle Forge?

Idle Alchemist ships an update every 2 months, and Idle Forge weekly. Most recently, Idle Alchemist was updated on October 14, 2026 and Idle Forge on October 22, 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.*