TamaShell vs Petwhile
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.
Petwhile
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What do your pets get up to when you're not home? Now you can find out. Peek at the pet cam and catch them napping in odd places, chasing each other from room to room and staring very hard at a bird. Then walk in the door to the happiest hello of your day. Petwhile is a cozy pixel art world of cats and dogs with minds of their own. THE BEST PART OF YOUR DAY Come home and they come running. Tails up, hearts flying, and maybe a little gift left on the floor just for you. THEY NEVER SIT STILL Zoomies. Sunbathing. Knocking things off shelves. Your pets keep busy whether you're watching or not, and every time you come back there's a story of what you missed. WHO'S THAT AT THE WINDOW Cardinals on the sill. A raccoon in the yard. A shy stray who keeps coming back. Win their trust and they might just move in. MAKE IT YOURS • Adopt cats and dogs, each with a personality you uncover over time • Dress them up in hats, collars and scarves • Move from a city apartment to a cabin, a house and a big old barn • Fill your Field Guide with every visitor you spot • Fill your Scrapbook with every first • Toss treats, blow bubbles and roll a ball right from the camera • Keep an eye on them from your Home Screen with the Room Cam widget MADE FOR IPHONE DUO Open the phone and watch two cameras side by side. NO PRESSURE, EVER A few minutes a day is plenty. No streaks to lose. No guilt. Miss a day and your pets are just happy to see you. No ads. No account. Optional in-app purchases for kibble and item bundles.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Petwhile at every 2 days against TamaShell's monthly. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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 Petwhile sells 9 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
TamaShell ships an update monthly, Petwhile every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | TamaShell | Petwhile |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 1 — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 7 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | KAMIL BARCZAK | Lanely Labs LLC |
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
Petwhile
- Scoop of Kibble$0.99
- Starter Bundle$1.99
- Bubble Day Bundle$1.99
Show 6 moreShow fewer
- Little Surprise Bundle$1.99
- Bag of Kibble$2.99
- Cozy Night Bundle$2.99
- Autumn Bundle$2.99
- Sack of Kibble$5.99
- Pantry of Kibble$9.99









