# Lantern Fish vs holedown

The clearest difference is price: Lantern Fish at Free against holedown's $3.99. Lantern Fish also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.3) and update cadence (weekly vs every 9 months). holedown's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Lantern Fish is free to download; holedown costs $3.99 up front. Lantern Fish sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. holedown asks for nothing beyond the download.

Lantern Fish holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: holedown has 398 ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Lantern Fish's written reviews are positive against 72% of holedown's.

Lantern Fish ships an update weekly, holedown every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on June 11, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Lantern Fish | holedown |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $3.99 |
| Rating | **[4.9 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lantern-fish/id1028868221/reviews)** | [4.3 (398 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/holedown/id1297270249/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 16 | **398** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 71.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#160** |
| Size | 217 MB | 77 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Marco Vasquez](https://appshunter.io/developer/1028868220) | [webbfarbror AB](https://appshunter.io/developer/663547506) |

## What reviewers say

### Lantern Fish

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lantern-fish/id1028868221)

Navigate the dark ocean depths as a cute anglerfish with a headlamp. Tap to jump and avoid obstacles to survive as long as possible. Unlock unique skins and compete on the global leaderboard.

**Highlights:** One-button tap to jump gameplay, Avoid objects to survive, Unlockable skins with different functions, Global leaderboard, Game Center achievements

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |


### holedown

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/holedown/id1297270249)

**Currently charting:** #160 Top Paid · Casual, #200 Top Paid · Puzzle (US App Store)

Dig deep underground by strategically shooting balls to break blocks and reach planet cores. Collect crystals for upgrades and master bouncing patterns in this charming, minimalist game with an original soundtrack. Enjoy hours of gameplay with procedurally generated planets and multiple modes.

**Highlights:** Dig through six planets, Collect crystals for upgrades, Procedurally generated planets, Original space acid soundtrack, Endless play mode, Intuitive one-handed play

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Addictive gameplay
- 👍 Satisfying physics and animations
- 🎨 Charming visuals and audio
- 💰 Fair pricing, no ads or IAPs

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔚 Short campaign length
- 🔁 Lack of replayability after completion
- 🔇 No option to disable sound effects
- 🐛 Occasional save data loss

**Reported bugs**

- Save data randomly resets
- Gameplay freezes after certain actions
- Sound effects not working properly

**Requested features**

- More planets/levels
- Diverse block types and gameplay mechanics
- Ability to skip crystal counting animation
- Cloud save sync between devices


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Lantern Fish free?

Lantern Fish is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is holedown free?

holedown costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Lantern Fish or holedown?

Lantern Fish is rated higher. Lantern Fish averages 4.9 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while holedown averages 4.3 from 398 ratings.

### Do Lantern Fish or holedown have ads?

Lantern Fish shows ads; holedown does not.

### Which is updated more often, Lantern Fish or holedown?

Lantern Fish ships an update weekly, and holedown every 9 months. Most recently, Lantern Fish was updated on June 11, 2026 and holedown on September 30, 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.*