# ao vs ProgressBar95

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ProgressBar95 at 93% against ao's 47%. ProgressBar95 also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.3) and ratings volume (3K vs 153). ao's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 12.0). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ao sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and ProgressBar95 sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ProgressBar95 holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ProgressBar95 has 3K ratings behind it against 153, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 47% of ao's written reviews are positive against 93% of ProgressBar95's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ao | ProgressBar95 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.3 (153 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ao/id937945761/reviews) | **[4.8 (3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/progressbar95-retro-arcade/id1474374114/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 153 | **3K** |
| Positive reviews | 47.3% of reviews | **92.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 13 MB | 222 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [General Adaptive Apps Pty Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/937589555) | [Spooky House Studios UG (haftungsbeschraenkt)](https://appshunter.io/developer/376098163) |

## What reviewers say

### ao

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ao/id937945761)

Engage in a puzzle game with expanding and contracting circles. Solve over 200 levels with unique challenges and surprises. Compete for medals and leaderboards, or skip tricky levels.

**Highlights:** Expanding and contracting circles, 200 levels with unique challenges, Leaderboard and medals, Level skipping and unlocking, Replay passed levels

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Skip Level | $0.99 | one-time |
| Remove All Ads | $1.99 | one-time |
| Unlock All Levels | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🤩 Fun and addictive gameplay
- 👍 Simple yet challenging
- 🎶 Good background music
- ✨ Minimalist design
- 💯 Highly recommended

**What reviewers complain about**

- ❓ Confusing gameplay
- 😩 Frustrating difficulty
- 👎 Repetitive gameplay
- 💸 Unfair monetization
- 😵 Overwhelming ads

**Reported bugs**

- Game doesn't work
- App freezes
- Level 1 fails
- Dots don't rotate
- Automatic fail

**Requested features**

- Clearer instructions on how to play
- Make levels less impossible
- Fix the huge dot problem
- Add numbers on the balls
- More original game concepts


### ProgressBar95

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/progressbar95-retro-arcade/id1474374114)

Experience a nostalgic hyper-casual game with retro arcade visuals. Fill the progress bar by moving it with one finger to win. This addictive time killer offers simple controls and endless gameplay.

**Highlights:** Nostalgic retro visuals, One-finger control, Fill the progress bar to win, Addictive gameplay, Endless gameplay, Retro sound effects

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |
| 10 Product keys | $1.99 | one-time |
| Progressbar 1 | $2.99 | one-time |
| PB-DOS Shell skin | $2.99 | one-time |
| Bar OS System 2,3 pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| 25 Product keys | $3.99 | one-time |
| 50 Product keys | $6.99 | one-time |
| 100 Product keys | $11.99 | one-time |
| 250 Product keys | $24.99 | one-time |
| Unlock ALL | $25.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Nostalgic and fun
- 🚀 Addictive gameplay
- 💡 Unique concept
- 👍 Charming retro aesthetics
- 👍 Decent monetization model

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔋 Ads can be intrusive
- 💰 Some content locked behind paywall
- 🕰️ Progression can feel grindy at times

**Reported bugs**

- Restore purchases not working properly
- Progressbar 98 and XB not loading correctly
- Bin cleaning functionality not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Add more operating systems and game modes
- Implement cloud save and cross-device sync
- Improve audio and music integration
- Add more customization options
- Optimize performance on older devices


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ao free?

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

### Is ProgressBar95 free?

ProgressBar95 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, ao or ProgressBar95?

ProgressBar95 is rated higher. ao averages 3.3 out of 5 from 153 ratings, while ProgressBar95 averages 4.8 from 3K ratings.

### Do ao or ProgressBar95 have ads?

ProgressBar95 shows ads; ao does not.

### Which is updated more often, ao or ProgressBar95?

ao ships an update every 2 months, and ProgressBar95 every 2 months. Most recently, ao was updated on October 16, 2026 and ProgressBar95 on October 19, 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.*