# Fractal Space vs POOLS™

The clearest difference is price: POOLS™ at Free against Fractal Space's $1.99. POOLS™ also leads on ratings volume (1.8K vs 51) and review sentiment (80% vs 65%). On rating, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

POOLS™ is free to download; Fractal Space costs $1.99 up front. Fractal Space sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and POOLS™ sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Fractal Space against 4.5 for POOLS™. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: POOLS™ has 1.8K ratings behind it against 51, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 65% of Fractal Space's written reviews are positive against 80% of POOLS™'s.

Fractal Space ships an update monthly, POOLS™ every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Fractal Space | POOLS™ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.4 (51 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fractal-space/id988799702/reviews) | **[4.5 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pools/id6670792878/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 51 | **1.8K** |
| Positive reviews | 64.8% of reviews | **80.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 4 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 455 MB | 1.9 GB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | +9 | 9+ |
| Developer | [Haze Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/988799701) | [Tensori](https://appshunter.io/developer/1767614989) |

## What reviewers say

### Fractal Space

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fractal-space/id988799702)

Embark on an immersive 3D first-person adventure in a sci-fi universe. Solve mind-bending puzzles, explore a mysterious space station, and uncover its secrets to survive. Customize your gear and enjoy a console-like experience with gamepad support.

**Highlights:** Immersive 3D first-person experience, Mind-blowing narrative adventure, Jetpack for free exploration, Extensive Taser and station customization, Console-like gamepad support, Seasonal events and challenges, Story-rich with multiple endings

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Donation | $0.99 | one-time |
| 10 000 Shards | $0.99 | one-time |
| 30 000 Shards | $1.99 | one-time |
| Regular Donation | $2.99 | one-time |
| 50 000 Shards | $2.99 | one-time |
| Large Donation | $5.99 | one-time |


### POOLS™

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pools/id6670792878)

Explore, admire, and listen in this slow, reflective experience. It's an intentionally uneventful journey through uncanny and eerie environments, rewarding patience and quiet attention. Discover a world that subtly changes as you advance, inspired by internet phenomena like liminal spaces and The Backrooms.

**Highlights:** Exploration-focused gameplay, Relaxing and reflective atmosphere, Eerie and uncanny environments, Slow-paced, uneventful experience, World changes as you advance, Six chapters, 10-30 minutes each

**Features:** Game Controller support, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| POOLS: Full Game | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Immersive experience
- 🔒 No ads
- 👍 Incredible attention to detail
- 👍 Realistic graphics and sound
- 👍 Eerie and creepy atmosphere

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Boring after a while
- 🐛 Lack of variety in environments

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to move on iPad Pro
- Glitches reported

**Requested features**

- Expand to different Backrooms-inspired themes
- Add a multiplayer mode
- Introduce more interactive elements (e.g., monsters, items to discover)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Fractal Space free?

Fractal Space costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is POOLS™ free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Fractal Space or POOLS™?

POOLS™ is rated higher. Fractal Space averages 4.4 out of 5 from 51 ratings, while POOLS™ averages 4.5 from 1.8K ratings.

### Do Fractal Space or POOLS™ have ads?

Neither Fractal Space nor POOLS™ shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Fractal Space or POOLS™?

Fractal Space ships an update monthly, and POOLS™ every 4 weeks. Most recently, Fractal Space was updated on November 6, 2026 and POOLS™ on November 10, 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.*