# Merchant RPG vs Idle Clans

The clearest difference is ads: Idle Clans at none against Merchant RPG's shown. Idle Clans also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 4 months) and review sentiment (89% vs 69%). Merchant RPG's advantage is iOS requirement (8.0 vs 13.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Merchant RPG sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Idle Clans sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Merchant RPG against 4.7 for Idle Clans. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 276 and 610 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 69% of Merchant RPG's written reviews are positive against 89% of Idle Clans's.

Merchant RPG ships an update every 4 months, Idle Clans every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Merchant RPG | Idle Clans |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (276 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merchant-rpg/id1035170074/reviews) | **[4.7 (610 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-clans/id6449681174/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 276 | **610** |
| Positive reviews | 68.9% of reviews | **88.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 67 MB | 317 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Retora Game Studios](https://appshunter.io/developer/484290233) | [Isam Games Oy](https://appshunter.io/developer/1690028701) |

## What reviewers say

### Merchant RPG

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merchant-rpg/id1035170074)

Manage a fantasy shopkeeping empire by sending heroes on quests for materials and using crafters to create gear. Balance crafting, selling, and hero upgrades to build your trade empire and conquer foes. This offline idle RPG blends tycoon mechanics with traditional RPG elements.

**Highlights:** Send heroes on quests, Craft weapons and armor, Manage shop economy, Upgrade heroes and crafters, Raid bosses, Customize characters

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 16 Inventory Slots | $0.99 | one-time |
| 16 Additional Inventory Slots II | $0.99 | one-time |
| 16 Additional Inventory Slots III | $0.99 | one-time |
| 16 Additional Inventory Slots | $0.99 | one-time |
| Unlock the Jeweler | $0.99 | one-time |
| Hero Slot I | $0.99 | one-time |
| Enchanter Unlock | $1.99 | one-time |
| Frozen Tome Expansion | $2.99 | one-time |
| Scribe Expansion | $3.99 | one-time |
| Unlocks Everything | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Addictive gameplay
- 👍 Simple yet deep mechanics
- 🎨 Lovely pixel art style
- 💰 Fair monetization model
- ⏱️ Quick progression

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔇 Cuts off background audio
- 🤔 Confusing for new players
- 🤖 Lack of combat animations
- 🧠 Repetitive gameplay loop

**Reported bugs**

- Ads not working properly
- Inventory management issues
- Progression-blocking bugs

**Requested features**

- Add save slots or cloud sync
- Improve equipment visuals
- Implement auto-repeat quests
- Provide more guidance for new players


### Idle Clans

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-clans/id6449681174)

Embark on an epic multiplayer idle MMORPG adventure. Train skills, engage in deep combat, craft gear, and master commerce in a player-driven economy. Join or form clans to conquer challenges and ascend leaderboards.

**Highlights:** Train 20+ unique skills, Deep combat system, Offline progression, Craft armor and weapons, Enchant jewelry, Brew potions, Player-driven economy, Clan system

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Extra inventory space | $1.99 | one-time |
| Extra clan vault space | $1.99 | one-time |
| Exterminating token | $3.99 | one-time |
| Boss hunter | $3.99 | one-time |
| Auto loadout token | $3.99 | one-time |
| Auto raid token | $4.99 | one-time |
| Questing scroll | $4.99 | one-time |
| Premium | $9.99 | one-time |
| Gigantic holiday currency pack | $17.99 | one-time |
| Inventory space token (x10) | $17.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Free-to-play friendly
- 🚀 Efficient idle progression
- 💡 Engaging multiplayer features
- 👍 Balanced progression without pay-to-win
- 👍 Helpful and active community

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional connectivity issues
- ⏱️ Long event durations for larger clans
- 💰 Premium content locked behind paywall

**Reported bugs**

- Loading screen freezes
- Inability to change character name

**Requested features**

- Reduce event task time
- Add more end-game content
- Improve mobile optimization


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Merchant RPG free?

Merchant RPG is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Idle Clans free?

Idle Clans is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Merchant RPG or Idle Clans?

Idle Clans is rated higher. Merchant RPG averages 4.6 out of 5 from 276 ratings, while Idle Clans averages 4.7 from 610 ratings.

### Do Merchant RPG or Idle Clans have ads?

Merchant RPG shows ads; Idle Clans does not.

### Which is updated more often, Merchant RPG or Idle Clans?

Merchant RPG ships an update every 4 months, and Idle Clans every 2 days. Most recently, Merchant RPG was updated on November 2, 2026 and Idle Clans on November 3, 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.*