Comparison

TamaShell vs Petwhile

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

Head to head
About

TamaShell

Features
Read full description

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.

About

Petwhile

Read full description

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

TamaShell4 screens
Petwhile4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TamaShell ships an update monthly, Petwhile every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 7 level
TamaShell versus Petwhile: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTamaShellPetwhile
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.6 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKAMIL BARCZAKLanely Labs LLC

In-app purchases

4 purchases

TamaShell

One-time4
  • Cat Form$1.99
  • Robot Form$1.99
  • $ theme creator -enable$3.99
Show 1 more
  • TamaShell Pro Set$5.99
9 purchases

Petwhile

One-time9
  • Scoop of Kibble$0.99
  • Starter Bundle$1.99
  • Bubble Day Bundle$1.99
Show 6 more
  • 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

Questions

Is TamaShell free?
TamaShell is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Petwhile free?
Petwhile is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do TamaShell or Petwhile have ads?
Neither TamaShell nor Petwhile shows ads.
Which is updated more often, TamaShell or Petwhile?
TamaShell ships an update monthly, and Petwhile every 2 days. Most recently, TamaShell was updated on October 31, 2026 and Petwhile on November 6, 2026.

Other comparisons