# Tidepool Tycoon vs Dev Idle

The clearest difference is ads: Dev Idle at none against Tidepool Tycoon's shown. Dev Idle also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 2 weeks). Tidepool Tycoon's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Tidepool Tycoon sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Dev Idle sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Tidepool Tycoon ships an update every 2 weeks, Dev Idle daily. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Tidepool Tycoon | Dev Idle |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Daily** |
| Size | 18 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tam Tran](https://appshunter.io/developer/6786559953) | [David Petrina](https://appshunter.io/developer/1504156742) |

## What reviewers say

### Tidepool Tycoon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tidepool-tycoon/id6794579137)

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

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tidepool Club | $9.99 | per month |
| Pearl Pack - Small | $0.99 | one-time |
| Castaway Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Pearl Pack - Medium | $4.99 | one-time |
| Harbormaster Deed | $6.99 | one-time |
| Pearl Pack - Large | $9.99 | one-time |
| Founder's Chest | $19.99 | one-time |
| Pearl Pack - Huge | $19.99 | one-time |


### Dev Idle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dev-idle-programmer-clicker/id6804491739)

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Dev Idle Pro | $4.99 | per month |
| Hotfix — 100 Tickets | $0.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Sprint Pass Premium Track | $2.99 | one-time |
| Monthly Card — 40 a Day | $3.99 | one-time |
| Overtime | $4.99 | one-time |
| Sprint — 600 Tickets | $4.99 | one-time |
| Release — 1,400 Tickets | $9.99 | one-time |
| Major Version — 3,200 Tickets | $19.99 | one-time |
| Enterprise — 9,000 Tickets | $49.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Tidepool Tycoon free?

Tidepool Tycoon is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Dev Idle free?

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

### Do Tidepool Tycoon or Dev Idle have ads?

Tidepool Tycoon shows ads; Dev Idle does not.

### Which is updated more often, Tidepool Tycoon or Dev Idle?

Tidepool Tycoon ships an update every 2 weeks, and Dev Idle daily. Most recently, Tidepool Tycoon was updated on October 3, 2026 and Dev Idle on October 7, 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.*