# Fishing Break vs Upstream Struggle

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Upstream Struggle at none against Fishing Break's 7. Upstream Struggle also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs fortnightly) and review sentiment (87% vs 76%). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Fishing Break sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Upstream Struggle asks for nothing beyond the download.

Upstream Struggle holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 13K and 9.7K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of Fishing Break's written reviews are positive against 87% of Upstream Struggle's.

Fishing Break ships an update fortnightly, Upstream Struggle every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Fishing Break | Upstream Struggle |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (13K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fishing-break/id997811612/reviews) | **[4.9 (9.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/upstream-struggle/id1529926059/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **13K** | 9.7K |
| Positive reviews | 76.0% of reviews | **86.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 401 MB | 37 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Roofdog Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/445060906) | [Jack LaLonde](https://appshunter.io/developer/1499291451) |

## What reviewers say

### Fishing Break

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fishing-break/id997811612)

Embark on a relaxing fishing adventure across 12 diverse worlds. Catch hundreds of unique fish species, including rare elemental variants, and build your dream aquarium collection. Compete with friends on leaderboards and upgrade your gear to reel in the biggest catches.

**Highlights:** Relaxing casual fishing gameplay, 34 fishing spots across 12 worlds, Hundreds of fish species, Rare elemental fish variants, Per-fish leaderboards, Upgrade fishing gear, Build aquarium collection

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Stack of Cash | $2.99 | one-time |
| Pile of Cash | $4.99 | one-time |
| Coin Doubler | $4.99 | one-time |
| Coin Doubler Package | $4.99 | one-time |
| Bag of Cash | $9.99 | one-time |
| Chest of Cash | $19.99 | one-time |
| Boatload of Cash | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 No ads
- 👍 Relaxing gameplay
- 👍 Good graphics
- 👍 Variety of fish to catch
- 👍 Tournaments and events

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes
- 💰 Expensive bait
- 🕰️ Slow progression
- 🤔 Unclear mechanics (line length, gold coins)
- 🤷‍♀️ Difficulty catching rare/special fish

**Reported bugs**

- Bait consumed even when no fish bite
- Purchases not recognized by game
- Account reset issues

**Requested features**

- Ability to move boat/camera
- Showcase for caught fish
- Bait refilling system
- Chat/donation system for crews
- More worlds/levels


### Upstream Struggle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/upstream-struggle/id1529926059)

Embark on an endless salmon run, swimming upstream to reach home. Dodge a variety of enemies for as long as possible to unlock new fish species and improve your score.

**Highlights:** Endless salmon run gameplay, Dodge enemies, Unlock new fish, High score challenges

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and fun concept
- 🚀 No forced ads
- 💡 Potential for improvements

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- 🔁 Repetitive gameplay
- 🎨 Basic graphics and animations

**Reported bugs**

- Getting stuck in the waterfall at the start
- Crashes and freezes, especially at higher levels
- Issues with the bird/flying obstacle

**Requested features**

- Add more variety to levels and obstacles
- Improve controls and jumping mechanics
- Implement a leaderboard or competitive mode
- Introduce new fish skins and customization options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Fishing Break free?

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

### Is Upstream Struggle free?

Upstream Struggle is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Fishing Break or Upstream Struggle?

Upstream Struggle is rated higher. Fishing Break averages 4.7 out of 5 from 13K ratings, while Upstream Struggle averages 4.9 from 9.7K ratings.

### Do Fishing Break or Upstream Struggle have ads?

Both Fishing Break and Upstream Struggle show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Fishing Break or Upstream Struggle?

Fishing Break ships an update fortnightly, and Upstream Struggle every 4 days. Most recently, Fishing Break was updated on October 28, 2026 and Upstream Struggle on October 20, 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.*