# Merchant RPG vs NGIO

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: NGIO at none against Merchant RPG's 12. NGIO also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (daily vs every 4 months). Merchant RPG's advantage is iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Merchant RPG sells 12 one-off in-app purchases. NGIO asks for nothing beyond the download.

Merchant RPG ships an update every 4 months, NGIO daily. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Merchant RPG | NGIO |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (276 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merchant-rpg/id1035170074/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **276** | — |
| Positive reviews | 68.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 67 MB | 297 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Retora Game Studios](https://appshunter.io/developer/484290233) | [Mikhail Maksimov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1478646516) |

## 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 (12)**

| 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 |
| Hero Slot II | $0.99 | one-time |
| Enchanter Unlock | $1.99 | one-time |
| Unlock all Shop Themes | $2.99 | 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


### NGIO

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ngio/id6475610079)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Merchant RPG free?

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

### Is NGIO free?

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

### Do Merchant RPG or NGIO have ads?

Merchant RPG shows ads; NGIO does not.

### Which is updated more often, Merchant RPG or NGIO?

Merchant RPG ships an update every 4 months, and NGIO daily. Most recently, Merchant RPG was updated on October 24, 2026 and NGIO on October 5, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*