TamaShell vs MICIO
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
TamaShell
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TamaShell is a virtual pet that lives entirely inside a fake computer terminal. Hatch an egg, then keep your pet fed, clean, rested, and happy using simple typed commands or on screen buttons. Your pet keeps living in real time, even while the app is closed, so a few days of neglect will actually catch up with you. Along the way there is a full day and night cycle, a coin economy you can earn by putting your pet to work, a shop for food and room decorations, and more... who knows what hides away in the terminal? If your pet dies, it does not just disappear. Reset and start the next generation. Raise a pet. Keep the terminal alive.
MICIO
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Meet MICIO, your own AI-powered virtual cat. Adopt your pixel kitten, take care of it, play together and actually chat with your pet. MICIO is more than a classic virtual pet: every cat has its own personality, needs and memories, making each interaction feel different. CARE FOR YOUR VIRTUAL CAT Feed your kitten, look after its needs and keep it happy as you build your relationship over time. CHAT WITH YOUR CAT Talk directly with MICIO. Your virtual pet can respond, react and remember your interactions thanks to AI-powered conversations. WATCH YOUR PET GROW Take care of your cat, complete activities and discover how your companion develops over time. DISCOVER NEW CATS Unlock and collect different cats, each with its own look and personality. EXPLORE, PLAY AND CUSTOMIZE Earn rewards, discover new items and personalize your virtual pet experience. MOVE IN THE REAL WORLD Some parts of MICIO's world are connected to your activity, giving you another reason to explore and come back every day. VISIT YOUR FRIENDS Connect with other players and discover their virtual cats. If you love virtual pets, cat games, pixel pets and digital companions, MICIO is waiting for you. Adopt your cat and start your story today. A SMALL, REAL CONTRIBUTION MICIO commits to donating 10% of net proceeds actually received to charities helping cats. In Settings, “Donations and impact (10%)” explains the calculation; completed donations will be published there with documentation. This does not add a donation charge to your purchase. Chat includes 20 messages per day; MICIO+ includes up to 150.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: TamaShell at none against MICIO's shown. MICIO's advantage is update cadence (daily vs monthly). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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
Both are free to download. TamaShell sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and MICIO sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
TamaShell ships an update monthly, MICIO daily. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.
| Parameter | TamaShell | MICIO |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Daily — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 20 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | KAMIL BARCZAK | Mattia Mellone |
In-app purchases
TamaShell
- Cat Form$1.99
- Robot Form$1.99
- $ theme creator -enable$3.99
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- TamaShell Pro Set$5.99
MICIO
- MICIO Plus$2.991 Month
- 300 Cat Coins$0.99
- 900 Cat Coins$2.99
- 2500 Cat Coins$5.99









