# Hack Ex vs Life Sim

The clearest difference is ads: Hack Ex at none against Life Sim's shown. Hack Ex also leads on review sentiment (81% vs 73%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.6). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hack Ex sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Life Sim sells 5 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 — 4.6 for Hack Ex against 4.6 for Life Sim. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.5K and 4.6K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 81% of Hack Ex's written reviews are positive against 73% of Life Sim's.

Hack Ex ships an update every 3 months, Life Sim every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hack Ex | Life Sim |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (2.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hack-ex/id927697384/reviews) | [4.6 (4.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/life-sim-real-life-simulator/id1524045453/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2.5K | **4.6K** |
| Positive reviews | **81.5% of reviews** | 72.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 24 MB | 32 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [CNC Apps, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1263197795) | [Richard Biddulph](https://appshunter.io/developer/1524045455) |

## What reviewers say

### Hack Ex

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hack-ex/id927697384)

Engage in a virtual hacking simulation game where you adopt an alias to hack other players' devices and defend your own. Build your reputation by cracking virtual bank accounts, deploying viruses for income, and manipulating digital logs. Remember to erase your tracks to truly master the art of virtual hacking.

**Highlights:** Virtual hacking simulation, Hack and defend player devices, Crack virtual bank accounts, Deploy viruses for income, Manipulate digital logs, Upgrade virtual devices and utilities

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 200 Overclocks | $0.99 | one-time |
| 6000 Cryptocoins | $1.99 | one-time |
| Generate New IP | $1.99 | one-time |
| 10000 Cryptocoins | $1.99 | one-time |
| 1100 Overclocks | $4.99 | one-time |
| 16000 Cryptocoins | $4.99 | one-time |
| 34000 Cryptocoins | $9.99 | one-time |
| 2400 Overclocks | $9.99 | one-time |
| 72000 Cryptocoins | $19.99 | one-time |
| 5000 Overclocks | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth gameplay
- 👍 Fun and addictive
- 🔒 Realistic hacking simulation
- 💡 Unique concept
- 👍 User-friendly interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- ⏱️ Extremely long processing times
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 💰 Microtransactions feel necessary

**Reported bugs**

- Ads not working properly to reduce processing times
- Inconsistent display of processing progress
- Crashes and login issues
- Inability to delete accounts or change email

**Requested features**

- More network and device upgrades
- Ability to team up with friends
- Different types of viruses and malware
- Leaderboards and social features
- Ability to pay or threaten other players


### Life Sim

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/life-sim-real-life-simulator/id1524045453)

Experience a life simulation RPG where your choices shape your destiny. Start from humble beginnings and build a career, family, or even an empire. Explore diverse paths from education and business to crime and social media stardom.

**Highlights:** Career progression and education, Build relationships and start a family, Business and stock market simulation, Explore criminal paths, Become a social media influencer, Adopt pets, Achieve life milestones

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 10 Coins | $1.99 | one-time |
| 25 Coins | $2.99 | one-time |
| 50 Coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| 100 Coins | $7.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great concept
- 🚀 Addictive gameplay
- 💡 Realistic life simulation
- 🚀 Immersive experience
- 👍 Enjoyable and fun

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- ⏱️ Slow time progression
- 🔍 Limited options and customization
- 💰 Too many ads
- 🤔 Unbalanced business/finance mechanics

**Reported bugs**

- Life age glitches
- Inability to withdraw from business funds
- Inconsistent dating/marriage mechanics
- Unresponsive interaction options

**Requested features**

- Add more jobs and career paths
- Implement time acceleration option
- Allow customization of character appearance
- Improve relationship and family mechanics
- Add more business management features


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hack Ex free?

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

### Is Life Sim free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Hack Ex or Life Sim?

Hack Ex and Life Sim are both rated 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2.5K and 4.6K ratings respectively.

### Do Hack Ex or Life Sim have ads?

Life Sim shows ads; Hack Ex does not.

### Which is updated more often, Hack Ex or Life Sim?

Hack Ex ships an update every 3 months, and Life Sim every 2 months. Most recently, Hack Ex was updated on October 14, 2026 and Life Sim on October 11, 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.*