# Garden Eel vs Monthly Idol

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Garden Eel at none against Monthly Idol's 16. Garden Eel also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). Monthly Idol's advantage is ratings volume (2.1K vs 2) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Monthly Idol sells 16 one-off in-app purchases. Garden Eel asks for nothing beyond the download.

Garden Eel holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Monthly Idol has 2.1K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Garden Eel ships an update every 3 months, Monthly Idol every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 5, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Garden Eel | Monthly Idol |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/garden-eel/id955224415/reviews)** | [4.6 (2.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monthly-idol/id1407604160/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **2.1K** |
| Positive reviews | — | 73.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 80 MB | 249 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [KENSHI DOI](https://appshunter.io/developer/709264908) | [Sora Ryoo](https://appshunter.io/developer/1136647319) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Monthly Idol

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monthly-idol/id1407604160)

Manage your own K-pop entertainment agency, train idols, and guide them to global stardom. Make strategic decisions about music production, schedules, and world tours to achieve success.

**Highlights:** Manage entertainment agency, Train girl/boy groups, Produce music and albums, Schedule idol activities, Organize world tours, Conduct auditions

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

**In-app purchases (16)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Gem 100 | $0.49 | one-time |
| Apple Tree | $1.99 | one-time |
| Gem 500 | $2.99 | one-time |
| 50 Emeralds | $2.99 | one-time |
| 100 Emeralds | $4.99 | one-time |
| Remove ads & screen expansion | $5.99 | one-time |
| Game speed 50% UP buff | $5.99 | one-time |
| Income increases 30% buff | $5.99 | one-time |
| Auto click fan's mind buff | $5.99 | one-time |
| Gem 1,000 | $6.99 | one-time |
| Apple Package | $6.99 | one-time |
| Black Tiger Limited Package | $8.99 | one-time |
| Blue costume set Girl | $9.99 | one-time |
| Theme Costume Package(Girl) | $11.99 | one-time |
| Theme Costume Package(Boy) | $11.99 | one-time |
| 300Emeralds + BONUS 50 | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Garden Eel free?

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

### Is Monthly Idol free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Garden Eel or Monthly Idol?

Garden Eel is rated higher. Garden Eel averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Monthly Idol averages 4.6 from 2.1K ratings.

### Do Garden Eel or Monthly Idol have ads?

Both Garden Eel and Monthly Idol show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Garden Eel or Monthly Idol?

Garden Eel ships an update every 3 months, and Monthly Idol every 3 weeks. Most recently, Garden Eel was updated on September 5, 2026 and Monthly Idol on September 24, 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.*