# Dotling vs Bova Buddy

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Bova Buddy at none against Dotling's 2. Bova Buddy also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Dotling's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Dotling sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Bova Buddy asks for nothing beyond the download.

Dotling ships an update every 5 days, Bova Buddy every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dotling | Bova Buddy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dotling-retro-virtual-pet/id6802696539/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Size | 9 MB | 93 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [DIJITAL PILOT REKLAM SANAYI TICARET LIMITED SIRKETI](https://appshunter.io/developer/1881304693) | [NOAH EVANS](https://appshunter.io/developer/6815304543) |

## What reviewers say

### Dotling

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dotling-retro-virtual-pet/id6802696539)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Dotling Premium | $5.99 | per month |
| Dotling Premium | $24.99 | per year |


### Bova Buddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bova-buddy/id6815304541)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Dotling free?

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

### Is Bova Buddy free?

Bova Buddy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Dotling or Bova Buddy have ads?

Neither Dotling nor Bova Buddy shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Dotling or Bova Buddy?

Dotling ships an update every 5 days, and Bova Buddy every 3 weeks. Most recently, Dotling was updated on October 25, 2026 and Bova Buddy on October 24, 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.*