# Small Fry vs Idle Drops

The clearest difference is ads: Small Fry at none against Idle Drops's shown. Small Fry also leads on iOS requirement (5.0 vs 16.0). Idle Drops's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (813 vs 219). On price, rating, review sentiment and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Small Fry sells 9 one-off in-app purchases and Idle Drops sells 10 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 — 4.2 for Small Fry against 4.3 for Idle Drops. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 219 and 813 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 66% of Small Fry's written reviews are positive against 62% of Idle Drops's.

Small Fry ships an update every 2 months, Idle Drops every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Small Fry | Idle Drops |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (219 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/small-fry/id734609210/reviews) | **[4.3 (813 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-drops/id1362072943/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 219 | **813** |
| Positive reviews | **65.7% of reviews** | 62.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 81 MB | 266 MB |
| Requires iOS | **5.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Noodlecake](https://appshunter.io/developer/370828169) | [Studio Rouleau Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/933957878) |

## What reviewers say

### Small Fry

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/small-fry/id734609210)

Embark on a thrilling ocean adventure as a tiny fish evading predators and obstacles. Navigate through water, air, and space with simple controls, utilizing power-ups and completing challenges. Compete with others on leaderboards and customize your character.

**Highlights:** One-touch controls, Seamless water, air, and space transitions, Upgradable power-ups, 60+ challenges, Achievements and leaderboards, Character customization

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2,000 Clam Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| 10 Pearl Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Clam Doubler | $3.99 | one-time |
| 12,000 Clam Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| 60 Pearl Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| 30,000 Clam Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| 150 Pearl Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| 100,000 Clam Pack | $19.99 | one-time |
| 500 Pearl Pack | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Addictive and fun gameplay mechanics
- 🎨 Excellent graphics and visual design
- ✨ Smooth and responsive gameplay
- 🆓 No mandatory purchases to progress
- 🎯 Clever strategic elements (water/air/space divisions)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and force closes
- 📱 Incompatible with newer iOS versions
- 📺 Excessive ads throughout gameplay
- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
- 🎮 Repetitive gameplay and limited content variety

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on startup or during gameplay
- Force close on iOS 6.1.5 and older versions
- Incompatible with iOS 11 and newer versions
- Black screen at loading
- In-app purchase transactions not processing

**Requested features**

- Update app for current iOS versions and iPad compatibility
- Option to remove ads permanently
- More diverse enemies and environmental variations
- Improved control mechanics and responsiveness
- New game modes and challenges


### Idle Drops

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-drops/id1362072943)

Collect colorful drops in this visually stunning incremental game. Uncover a deep sci-fi story and explore a realm beyond the mirage. Features a prestige system and a mesmerizing soundtrack.

**Highlights:** Visually focused gameplay, Incremental drop collection, Deep sci-fi story, Prestige system, Mesmerizing soundtrack, Highly polished UI and animations

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 10 Diamonds | $0.99 | one-time |
| Dragon Drop | $0.99 | one-time |
| Ad-Free Collect x2 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $2.99 | one-time |
| Ad-Free Drops x2 and Multi x2 | $2.99 | one-time |
| 55 Diamonds | $4.99 | one-time |
| Mega Pack Remove Ads | $6.99 | one-time |
| Mega Pack | $6.99 | one-time |
| 120 Diamonds | $9.99 | one-time |
| 250 Diamonds | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Relaxing gameplay
- 🚀 Addictive experience
- 💡 Interesting story/lore
- 🎨 Great visuals and music

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Frequent ads
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 🔋 Progress loss issues
- 📊 Slow progression at higher levels

**Reported bugs**

- Ads causing game freezes
- Losing progress after prestiging
- Inconsistent ad reward functionality

**Requested features**

- Add more level variety
- Improve ad implementation
- Implement cloud save/sync
- Expand on the story/lore


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Small Fry free?

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

### Is Idle Drops free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Small Fry or Idle Drops?

Idle Drops is rated higher. Small Fry averages 4.2 out of 5 from 219 ratings, while Idle Drops averages 4.3 from 813 ratings.

### Do Small Fry or Idle Drops have ads?

Idle Drops shows ads; Small Fry does not.

### Which is updated more often, Small Fry or Idle Drops?

Small Fry ships an update every 2 months, and Idle Drops every 9 days. Most recently, Small Fry was updated on November 4, 2026 and Idle Drops on November 11, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*