# Lava Bird vs Cooped Up

The clearest difference is rating: Cooped Up at 4.5 against Lava Bird's 3.8. Cooped Up also leads on ratings volume (84 vs 16). Lava Bird's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 17 months) and review sentiment (90% vs 71%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Lava Bird sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Cooped Up sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Cooped Up holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cooped Up has 84 ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 90% of Lava Bird's written reviews are positive against 71% of Cooped Up's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Lava Bird ships an update fortnightly, Cooped Up every 17 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Lava Bird | Cooped Up |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.8 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lava-bird/id845544614/reviews) | **[4.5 (84 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cooped-up/id984037545/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 16 | **84** |
| Positive reviews | **90.5% of reviews** | 70.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 17 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 95 MB | 157 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.1** | 11.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Unept](https://appshunter.io/developer/1159852090) | [Nitrome](https://appshunter.io/developer/568079484) |

## What reviewers say

### Lava Bird

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lava-bird/id845544614)

Tap to control a bird that shoots lava with every flap. Navigate treacherous environments, dodge enemies, and avoid your own fiery projectiles in this endless flying adventure. Discover an epic story as you play.

**Highlights:** Tap to fly mechanic, Avoid enemies and spikes, Shoot lava balls, Earn a shield, Unlock an epic story

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $0.99 | one-time |


### Cooped Up

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cooped-up/id984037545)

Navigate a vibrant sanctuary as a new exotic bird, flinging yourself upwards while avoiding obstacles and other quirky birds. Snack on tasty insects along the way and use boosts to ascend further. Compete with friends via Game Center.

**Highlights:** Intuitive twanging fling gameplay, Simple pick up and play, Game Centre support, Collect and eat insects, In-game boosts

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Highly addictive gameplay mechanics
- 🎨 Charming and unique pixel art style
- 😄 Quirky humor and entertaining animations
- 🎵 Catchy banjo music and sound design
- ⚡ Fast-paced and responsive controls

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezing issues
- 🐛 Screen flickering after watching ads
- 🐛 Game incompatibility with iPad
- 🐛 Upside-down screen glitches
- 📺 Excessive and repetitive ads

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes on launch or during gameplay
- Screen flickering and glitching after ads
- Upside-down screen display
- Phone freezing or requiring restart
- Jump mechanics not responding

**Requested features**

- Unlockable characters and skins
- New maps and backgrounds
- Additional enemy types and difficulty levels
- In-game currency and upgrade system
- Customizable bird options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Lava Bird free?

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

### Is Cooped Up free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Lava Bird or Cooped Up?

Cooped Up is rated higher. Lava Bird averages 3.8 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while Cooped Up averages 4.5 from 84 ratings.

### Do Lava Bird or Cooped Up have ads?

Both Lava Bird and Cooped Up show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Lava Bird or Cooped Up?

Lava Bird ships an update fortnightly, and Cooped Up every 17 months. Most recently, Lava Bird was updated on November 1, 2026 and Cooped Up on November 1, 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.*