# AquaLife 3D vs Garden Eel

The clearest difference is rating: Garden Eel at 5.0 against AquaLife 3D's 3.9. Garden Eel also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 11). AquaLife 3D's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (45 vs 2). On price, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. AquaLife 3D sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. Garden Eel asks for nothing beyond the download.

Garden Eel holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: AquaLife 3D has 45 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

AquaLife 3D ships an update every 4 months, Garden Eel every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | AquaLife 3D | Garden Eel |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.9 (45 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aqualife-3d/id774987695/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/garden-eel/id955224415/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **45** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 57.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 138 MB | 80 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.2 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nikolay Egorov](https://appshunter.io/developer/768130260) | [KENSHI DOI](https://appshunter.io/developer/709264908) |

## What reviewers say

### AquaLife 3D

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aqualife-3d/id774987695)

Design and manage your own virtual aquarium with realistic 3D fish and decorations. Explore freshwater, saltwater, and fantasy environments, breed and sell fish to earn in-game currency, and customize your underwater world.

**Highlights:** Realistic 3D fish and decorations, Multiple aquarium types (saltwater, freshwater, fantasy), Breed, feed, and sell fish, Earn coins, diamonds, and experience, Over 100 fish species and decorations, Social features: invite friends, give/receive gifts

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2 000 coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| 10 diamonds | $0.99 | one-time |
| 20 diamonds | $1.99 | one-time |
| 4 500 coins | $1.99 | one-time |
| 55 diamonds | $4.99 | one-time |
| 45 diamonds | $5.99 | one-time |
| 15 000 coins | $5.99 | one-time |
| 70 diamonds | $5.99 | one-time |
| VIP | $5.99 | one-time |
| 120 diamonds | $9.99 | one-time |
| 250 diamonds | $19.99 | one-time |


### Garden Eel

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/garden-eel/id955224415)

A relaxing simulator where you nurture garden eels by managing their environment. Swipe to create currents, clean the seabed, and feed your eels to help them grow. Drive away unwanted sea creatures to ensure a thriving habitat.

**Highlights:** Swipe to create currents, Clean the seabed, Feed garden eels, Drive away sea creatures, 5 kinds of garden eels, Apple Watch support, iCloud data saving

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is AquaLife 3D free?

AquaLife 3D is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Garden Eel free?

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

### Which has better reviews, AquaLife 3D or Garden Eel?

Garden Eel is rated higher. AquaLife 3D averages 3.9 out of 5 from 45 ratings, while Garden Eel averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do AquaLife 3D or Garden Eel have ads?

Garden Eel shows ads; AquaLife 3D does not.

### Which is updated more often, AquaLife 3D or Garden Eel?

AquaLife 3D ships an update every 4 months, and Garden Eel every 3 months. Most recently, AquaLife 3D was updated on October 13, 2026 and Garden Eel on October 7, 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.*