Nibbii vs Pets Therapy: two desktop pets for Mac
Short version: Pets Therapy fills your screen with pixel pets. It has 100+ of them on macOS, it's free to download from the Mac App Store, and it runs on Windows too. Nibbii is one pixel pet that lives in your MacBook notch and grows up as you look after it. If you want a crowd of pets roaming your screen, Pets Therapy is the one. If you want a single pet up in the notch, try Nibbii.
Side by side
Facts about Pets Therapy come from its website and its Mac App Store listing, as of October 2026. Facts about Nibbii come from this site.
| Feature | Pets Therapy | Nibbii |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Pixel-art pets that roam your screen. You feed them, hand them toys and watch them chat with each other. | A pixel pet that lives in your MacBook notch. Free pets grow through Level 10; later growth stages are Pro. |
| Where it lives | Roam freely on your screen, perching on window title bars and screen edges. | In your MacBook notch. On a Mac with no notch, it draws its own perch at the top of the screen. Roaming around the desktop is Pro. |
| Where you get it | The Mac App Store, the Microsoft Store and Steam for Windows. | Download from nibbii.pet. Mac only. |
| macOS | Its Mac App Store listing lists macOS 12.0. | Requires macOS 15+. |
| Pets | 100+ pets on macOS. | 11 pets. Doggo is the free starter. Pro lets you collect the rest as you play. |
| Looking after them | Feeding (87 pets) and toys (132) are free. No hunger meters, and nothing ever dies. | Core care and play are free. |
| Talking | Pets chat with each other in speech bubbles (67 topics). Ambient chatting is in its supporters tier. | You can talk to your pet with AI chat, an optional Pro feature. With AI chat, it remembers what you tell it. |
| Price | Free to download. A supporters tier is mentioned; amounts are not stated on the page. In-app purchases on its US App Store listing: Lifetime $12.99, Year of Pets $5.99. | The base app is free to keep. Lifetime Pro is $9.99 once. Monthly is $3.99/month. |
Where Pets Therapy is ahead
It's free to download. Pets Therapy's page says 87 pets have their own food and there are 132 toys, both free, and that there are no hunger meters and nothing ever dies. You get it from the Mac App Store, which Nibbii isn't on. It runs on Windows as well, through the Microsoft Store or Steam.
It also has far more pets. Pets Therapy's page says you can choose from 100+ pets on macOS. Nibbii has 11. And if your Mac is a few years old, check the version first: Pets Therapy's Mac App Store listing lists macOS 12.0 for the Mac. Nibbii requires macOS 15+.
Pets Therapy's page has a guide to designing and importing your own pets.
What Nibbii does differently
Nibbii is one pet, and it lives in your MacBook notch. On a Mac with no notch, it draws its own perch at the top of the screen. Roaming around the desktop is there too, with Pro.
It grows up. Free pets grow through Level 10; later growth stages are Pro. You can talk to it as well. AI chat is an optional Pro feature, and with AI chat it remembers what you tell it. Pets Therapy's pets chat to each other. With AI chat, Nibbii talks to you.
It reacts to music playing on your Mac. There's Focus Buddy and focus sprints (Pro), and weather in its world (Pro). Pro lets you collect all 11 pets and 22 worlds as you play.
What each one costs
Both have a free version. Pets Therapy is free to download, and its page mentions a supporters tier without stating amounts. Nibbii's base app is free to keep: one starter pet, two worlds, core care and play, simple essentials, and growth through Level 10.
On the paid side, Pets Therapy's US App Store listing shows two in-app purchases: Lifetime at $12.99 and Year of Pets at $5.99. For Nibbii, Lifetime Pro is $9.99 once and includes 5,000 bonus Sparks. Monthly is $3.99/month, a separate optional subscription that includes Pro plus 30,000 AI Sparks every month. Eligible new accounts receive a 7-day Pro preview without entering payment details. The no-card Pro preview ends automatically and never becomes a paid subscription. The rest is on the pricing page.
Which one should you get?
Want lots of pets perched on your windows, on a Mac or a PC? Get Pets Therapy. It's free to download.
Want one pet that stays up in the notch, grows over time and, with optional AI chat (Pro), remembers what you tell it? Try Nibbii.
Still looking? The desktop pets for Mac page puts six apps side by side, Pets Therapy included.
Questions people ask
Is Pets Therapy free?
Pets Therapy is free to download, and its page mentions a supporters tier without stating amounts. Pets Therapy's US App Store listing shows two in-app purchases: Lifetime at $12.99 and Year of Pets at $5.99.
Is Nibbii on the Mac App Store?
No. Download from nibbii.pet. Signed with a Developer ID and notarised by Apple.
Does Nibbii run on Windows?
No. Nibbii is a Mac app and requires macOS 15+.
Can Nibbii's pet walk around my desktop like Pets Therapy's?
Yes, with Pro. Roaming around the desktop is Pro. On the free app, your pet stays in the notch.
Sources
- Pets Therapy: its website and its Mac App Store listing (US), as of October 2026.
- Nibbii: this site, the pricing page and the download page.
Meet Nibbii
The base app is free to keep. Nibbii is a Mac app and requires macOS 15+.