# Dotling vs Petwhile

The clearest difference is update cadence: Petwhile at every 2 days against Dotling's weekly. On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Dotling sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Petwhile sells 9 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Dotling against 5.0 for Petwhile. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

Dotling ships an update weekly, Petwhile every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dotling | Petwhile |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dotling-retro-virtual-pet/id6802696539/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/petwhile/id6820763936/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 13 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [DIJITAL PILOT REKLAM SANAYI TICARET LIMITED SIRKETI](https://appshunter.io/developer/1881304693) | [Lanely Labs LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1895430048) |

## 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 |


### Petwhile

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/petwhile/id6820763936)

Discover what your pets do when you're away through a cozy pixel art simulation. Adopt, dress up, and interact with your virtual companions, uncovering their unique personalities and the stories they create.

**Highlights:** Adopt and uncover pet personalities, Dress up pets in various accessories, Customize living spaces, Discover and collect visitors, Interactive camera with treats and toys, Home Screen widget for pet monitoring

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Scoop of Kibble | $0.99 | one-time |
| Starter Bundle | $1.99 | one-time |
| Bubble Day Bundle | $1.99 | one-time |
| Little Surprise Bundle | $1.99 | one-time |
| Bag of Kibble | $2.99 | one-time |
| Cozy Night Bundle | $2.99 | one-time |
| Autumn Bundle | $2.99 | one-time |
| Sack of Kibble | $5.99 | one-time |
| Pantry of Kibble | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Dotling free?

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

### Is Petwhile free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Dotling or Petwhile?

Dotling and Petwhile are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do Dotling or Petwhile have ads?

Neither Dotling nor Petwhile shows ads.

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

Dotling ships an update weekly, and Petwhile every 2 days. Most recently, Dotling was updated on November 10, 2026 and Petwhile on November 6, 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.*