# Potion Maker vs Item shop

The clearest difference is ads: Potion Maker at none against Item shop's shown. Potion Maker also leads on monetization model (free vs ad-supported) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 13.0). Item shop's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Potion Maker against 4.4 for Item shop. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 121 and 55 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 81% of Potion Maker's written reviews are positive against 87% of Item shop's.

Potion Maker ships an update every 3 weeks, Item shop weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Potion Maker | Item shop |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (121 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/potion-maker/id950654598/reviews) | **[4.4 (55 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/item-shop-crafting-game/id1288437774/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **121** | 55 |
| Positive reviews | 80.7% of reviews | **86.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Size | 109 MB | 70 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Halak](https://appshunter.io/developer/519529638) | [Plus Inc. (Japan)](https://appshunter.io/developer/445792061) |

## What reviewers say

### Potion Maker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/potion-maker/id950654598)

Brew magical concoctions by combining ingredients in a cauldron to create increasingly valuable potions. Upgrade your brewing skills, aim to become a millionaire potion master, and collect all 75 unique potion recipes. Enjoy offline gameplay and test your luck in this charming simulation.

**Highlights:** Brew potions with various ingredients, Enhance potion value, Upgrade brewing skills, Collect 75 potion recipes, Offline gameplay, Live2D animated characters

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 😍 Adorable and cute character designs
- 🎨 High-quality art style and animations
- ⏰ Simple and easy-to-learn gameplay mechanics
- 🎮 Addictive and engaging potion-making gameplay
- 💰 No mandatory in-app purchases required

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Save function frequently broken or glitches
- 🐛 Shop and store access disabled
- 🐛 Cannot access unlocked outfits/costumes
- 🐛 Game crashes and freezes after updates
- 🐛 Costumes fail to download properly

**Reported bugs**

- Save button unresponsive or closes menu without saving
- Cannot access shop or purchase items
- Costumes become inaccessible after reinstall
- Game crashes 10-30 seconds after startup
- Quests cannot be accepted or completed

**Requested features**

- Voice acting for characters
- More playable characters (especially male characters)
- Additional potion types and recipes
- More costume variety and options
- Character interaction and dialogue modes


### Item shop

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/item-shop-crafting-game/id1288437774)

Run your own shop by selling crafted items and fulfilling customer requests. Combine different items to discover new products, and send adventurers out to gather materials. Expand and decorate your shop with the money you earn.

**Highlights:** Sell items on the counter, Fulfill customer requests, Combine items to craft new ones, Send adventurers for materials, Expand and remodel shop, Decorate your room

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Potion Maker free?

Potion Maker is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Item shop free?

Item shop is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Potion Maker or Item shop?

Item shop is rated higher. Potion Maker averages 4.4 out of 5 from 121 ratings, while Item shop averages 4.4 from 55 ratings.

### Do Potion Maker or Item shop have ads?

Item shop shows ads; Potion Maker does not.

### Which is updated more often, Potion Maker or Item shop?

Potion Maker ships an update every 3 weeks, and Item shop weekly. Most recently, Potion Maker was updated on October 23, 2026 and Item shop on October 24, 2026.

---

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