Comparison

Backyard Biome vs Nubi

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

Head to head
About

Backyard Biome

Features
Read full description

Backyard Biome is a calm but deep ecosystem simulation where every planting decision changes a living food web. GROW A SYSTEM, NOT A DECORATION - Shape a 10 by 7 yard with native flowers, grasses, shrubs, trees, ponds, logs, nest boxes, and rain capture - Balance soil, water, shade, nutrients, habitat, and seasonal change - Watch insects, birds, fungi, pollinators, predators, and decomposers respond to the yard you create - Handle drought, storms, disease, invasive species, and migration without timers or premium currency - Follow readable food-web links and discover why a beautiful yard can still be ecologically fragile LEARN THROUGH CONSEQUENCES - Explore a 32-species field guide with habitat roles and relationships - Read biodiversity, stability, watershed, population, and soil indicators - Compare choices across identical seeded Daily Garden and Weekly Watershed scenarios - Earn optional Game Center achievements and compete on Daily and Weekly leaderboards - Listen to an original 20-track generative-inspired soundtrack while the seasons turn BUILT AS A COMPLETE PREMIUM GAME - One paid download with no ads, subscriptions, in-app purchases, energy, or wait timers - No login and no developer-operated server - Gardens remain on device, with optional private iCloud synchronization - Dynamic Type, VoiceOver descriptions, reduced motion, haptic controls, and symbols that do not rely only on color The simulation is scientifically grounded entertainment and is not professional horticultural, pesticide, or environmental advice.

About

Nubi

Features
Read full description

Nubi is a virtual pet that lives in real time. It gets hungry while you are at work, sleepy at night, and a little bored when you forget it. Come back a few times a day and it grows up right in front of you. A PET THAT ACTUALLY GROWS • Day by day milestones: a first hair, a first tooth, braces, a growth spurt • 50 forms to discover in the album, shaped by how you care for it • Four traits, Gourmet, Sparkle, Dreamer and Rascal, that change its look and mood • Bond that builds over weeks, not minutes CARE THAT FEELS REAL • Feed from a pantry of snacks and meals • Wash with real lather: scrub, rinse, sparkle • Tuck it in for a nap and let energy refill • Pet it, talk to it, keep its streak alive SIX MINI GAMES Catch snacks, match pairs, hunt socks, repeat the rhythm, stack blocks, spot the odd one out. Every round fills Fun and pays coins by score. Two free rounds per game every day. DAILY TASKS AND COINS Three small tasks each day. Finish them for coins and a bond bonus. Spend coins on 14 hats, 5 buddies, 8 room decorations and 7 rooms. Coin packs are optional and there are no ads, ever. ON YOUR WRIST Nubi comes with an Apple Watch app. Check how your pet is doing, feed it or pet it straight from your wrist. Add a complication and your pet sits right on your watch face, changing as it grows. WIDGETS Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets show your pet and its needs, and let you snack or pet it without opening the app. SHARE Story and post cards with today's numbers, ready for Instagram. Made for anyone who misses their Tamagotchi. Free to play, offline friendly, no account needed. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://berkalparslan.github.io/privacy/nubi/

Screenshots

Backyard Biome4 screens
Nubi4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Nubi at Free against Backyard Biome's $2.99. Nubi also leads on update cadence (daily vs monthly). Backyard Biome's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4). On ads, 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

Nubi is free to download; Backyard Biome costs $2.99 up front. Nubi sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Backyard Biome asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Backyard Biome ships an update monthly, Nubi daily. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Ā· 3 level
Backyard Biome versus Nubi: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBackyard BiomeNubi
Price$2.99Free — better
Update frequencyMonthlyDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size102 MB14 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRobert CorbinElif Aleyna Alparslan

In-app purchases

None

Backyard Biome

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Nubi

One-time4
  • 100 coins Ā· Handful$0.99
  • 300 coins Ā· Pouch$2.99
  • 800 coins Ā· Bag$6.99
Show 1 more
  • 2000 coins Ā· Chest$14.99

Questions

Is Backyard Biome free?
Backyard Biome costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Nubi free?
Nubi is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Backyard Biome or Nubi have ads?
Neither Backyard Biome nor Nubi shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Backyard Biome or Nubi?
Backyard Biome ships an update monthly, and Nubi daily. Most recently, Backyard Biome was updated on October 9, 2026 and Nubi on October 25, 2026.

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