# Dotling vs Alive

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Alive at none against Dotling's 2. Alive also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Dotling's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price and update cadence there is nothing between them.

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

Dotling ships an update weekly, Alive every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dotling | Alive |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dotling-retro-virtual-pet/id6802696539/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 12 MB | 119 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [DIJITAL PILOT REKLAM SANAYI TICARET LIMITED SIRKETI](https://appshunter.io/developer/1881304693) | [Nick Squared](https://appshunter.io/developer/6813199038) |

## What reviewers say

### Dotling

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

Relive the 90s with a digital pixel pet that lives on your screen. Care for your virtual companion, play mini-games, and watch it evolve. Widgets keep your pet close, even when the app is closed.

**Highlights:** Pixelated dot-matrix LCD display, Hatch, grow, and evolve through 5 stages, Multiple species and care-dependent adult evolutions, Interactive care: feeding, cleaning, discipline, Mini-games: Guess the Turn, Stop the Dot, Hi-Lo, Home and Lock Screen widgets, Generational traits and achievements

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

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


### Alive

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alive-ish/id6816537375)

**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 Alive free?

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

### Do Dotling or Alive have ads?

Alive shows ads; Dotling does not.

### Which is updated more often, Dotling or Alive?

Dotling ships an update weekly, and Alive every 6 days. Most recently, Dotling was updated on October 31, 2026 and Alive on October 29, 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.*