Free Virtual Pet and Desktop Pet Options Compared — 24Houring Pixel Pets, Shimeji, VPet, Finch and Tamagotchi

By 24Houring · 2026-10-22

24Houring has a Tamagotchi-style pixel pet you raise in the browser for free. You lay an egg, hatch it, feed it and play with it, and it evolves as the plays add up; on a computer the pets walk across the window and hop onto widgets. Up to six pets are free with no sign-up, no install and no ads, which suits anyone who wants a small companion at the edge of the screen while studying or working.

What to look for in a virtual pet or desktop pet

"Raising a pet" covers quite different things. Settling these five questions first makes the choice easier.

• Where it lives: a device in your pocket, a phone app, your whole desktop, or inside a browser window.
• Install and setup: whether it opens right away, or needs a program, Java or Steam first.
• What makes it grow: time passing, playing with it, or getting your own tasks done.
• What happens if you neglect it: whether it gets hungry while closed and whether it can die.
• Money and ads: entirely free, or ads and in-app purchases. This matters most when a child is using it.

At a glance (as of October 2026)

Each alternative, briefly

• Bandai Tamagotchi Paradise: if you want the real Tamagotchi, the official device is the answer. In this series you turn a zoom dial to care for your Tama from cell to space. Neon Planets has a US MSRP of $44.99 as of October 2026, needs two AAA batteries sold separately, and offers nine languages including Korean. The series first launched in Japan on 12 July 2025 at 6,380 yen including tax. Caring for it from your pocket, with no computer or phone, is its biggest advantage.
• Shimeji-ee is the program people call "shimeji": small characters that run around your computer screen. It is free and open source, and you can choose characters drawn by artists around the world. According to its download page it needs Java and runs only on Windows. Its own description centres on little companions roaming the screen, so it is closer to watching than to feeding and raising.
• VPet Simulator is a free, open-source desktop pet on Steam. It has more than 200 animations, such as head pats, dancing and climbing the walls, plus feeding, and the Steam Workshop adds animations, food and themes. It is mainly for Windows; a September 2026 update added macOS and Linux support in beta. The developer posted a Workshop safety notice that same month, so check where a mod comes from before installing it.
• Finch is a self-care app more than a pet game: setting today's goals and reflecting on the day is how you look after a little bird. Finch says its core self-care features are and will stay free, and Finch Plus is an optional subscription for customisation and extra content ($9.99 a month or $69.99 a year in the US, per its help center as of October 2026). If you want getting things done to be what grows the pet, Finch fits best.
• Pou is a classic mobile pet game: feed it, wash it, play with it. It has more than a billion Google Play downloads, and you earn coins in mini-games to buy outfits and wallpapers. It is free on Android with ads and in-app purchases; on iOS it is a $1.99 app, also with ads and in-app purchases (as of October 2026).

If you want a work companion rather than a pet to raise, desktop apps such as Bongo Cat (free on Steam, with some paid add-on packs), where a cat reacts every time you press a key and you collect hats, are another option.

Where 24Houring's pixel pets are strong

• They open right away. With no sign-up or install, you lay an egg from the 24Houring timetable screen. No Java or Steam to set up, and no ads.
• They grow by play. Tapping, dragging, feeding and playing with toys each count as one play. At 100 plays a pet becomes a baby, at 300 an adult, and at 500 a coloured super form you can name (up to 12 characters). Time alone does not make it grow.
• Closed time still passes. When you come back, the time away is replayed by the same rules: hunger rises, eggs hatch, messes appear. A pet can die after three days at zero hunger, which keeps some of the original Tamagotchi tension.
• Each one has a personality. A temperament (active or calm) comes with one or two quirks: climber, toy lover, clingy, night owl or sleepy. As plays add up, toys unlock in order: ball, yarn, box, feather wand, laser.
• They fit the screen. On a computer they roam the whole browser window, using widgets and buttons as ledges; on a phone they live inside the console's small screen and do not cover the page.
• They share a screen with your planner. You can check in while laying out a circular timetable, or during a study break.

Where they are honestly weaker

• They are not desktop pets. The pets live only inside the 24Houring browser window. To have something roam your whole desktop and other programs, Shimeji-ee or VPet Simulator is the right choice.
• The roster is fixed. There are seven animals (chick, duck, rabbit, bear, puppy, cat, mole) and up to six pets at a time, which is far narrower than the fan characters and mods available for Shimeji-ee or in the VPet Workshop.
• Growth is not tied to your tasks. Only the number of plays decides growth. If you want finishing a task to be what helps the pet, Finch is better.
• Care can feel like a duty. You need to open it every few days to feed your pets. If you would rather stop, you can also let a pet go.
• By default they live on one device. Seeing the same pets elsewhere takes Pro sync ($0.99 a month). On iPhone, 24Houring runs in the browser.

Start raising a pet in 24Houring

1. Open 24Houring. No sign-up is needed.
2. On a computer, the chick button next to the clock-tools button at the bottom left opens the pet console; on a phone, it is the pet area under the timetable.
3. Press New egg. The animal is decided at that moment, and the first egg hatches in a minute. Each later egg takes longer to hatch.
4. Watch hunger, happiness and energy, plus the hygiene all pets share, and feed, play, let them sleep and tap the mess away.
5. As plays add up, pets evolve and toys unlock. When one reaches its super form, give it a name.

The full rules are on the free virtual pet page. Try the circular timetable the pets live on, the daily schedule maker, and the free D-day counter in the clock-tools menu at the bottom left. Other tools are on free tools, and Free versus Pro is on pricing.

Tamagotchi is a registered trademark of BANDAI. 24Houring is not affiliated with Bandai, and its pets are original pixel art.

FAQ

Is there a free Tamagotchi-style pet I can raise without installing anything?

24Houring has a Tamagotchi-style pixel pet you raise in the browser. Everything from laying an egg to evolution is free, with no sign-up, no install and no ads. It is not a Bandai Tamagotchi product.

What happens to my pet when the tab is closed?

When you come back, the closed time is replayed: hunger, hatching and messes catch up. Evolution comes only from play, so pets do not grow while you are away. A pet dies after three days at zero hunger.

How is it different from a desktop pet that roams my screen?

Shimeji-ee and VPet Simulator are installed on a PC and roam the whole desktop. 24Houring's pets need no install but stay inside the 24Houring window; in return they hatch from an egg, grow through play to a super form, and come with personalities and toys.

Can I raise one on my phone?

Yes. On a phone the pets live inside the console's small screen under the timetable, so they do not cover the page. Android also has a Google Play app, and seeing the same pets on several devices takes Pro sync.