# Merchant RPG vs Magic Research 2

The clearest difference is price: Merchant RPG at Free against Magic Research 2's $4.69. Merchant RPG also leads on iOS requirement (8.0 vs 13.0). Magic Research 2's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 12) and ads (none vs shown). On rating, ratings volume and device support there is nothing between them.

Merchant RPG is free to download; Magic Research 2 costs $4.69 up front. Merchant RPG sells 12 one-off in-app purchases. Magic Research 2 asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Merchant RPG against 4.8 for Magic Research 2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 276 and 118 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 69% of Merchant RPG's written reviews are positive against 82% of Magic Research 2's.

Merchant RPG ships an update every 4 months, Magic Research 2 every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Merchant RPG | Magic Research 2 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $4.69 |
| Rating | [4.6 (276 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merchant-rpg/id1035170074/reviews) | **[4.8 (118 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-research-2/id6478566840/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **276** | 118 |
| Positive reviews | 68.9% of reviews | **82.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#12** |
| Size | 67 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Retora Game Studios](https://appshunter.io/developer/484290233) | [Matias Ezequiel Colotto](https://appshunter.io/developer/1669682477) |

## 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


### Magic Research 2

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-research-2/id6478566840)

**Currently charting:** #12 Top Paid · Role Playing, #50 Top Paid · Simulation, #127 Top Paid · Games, #190 Top Paid (US App Store)

Embark on a magical quest as a rookie wizard to find or create the Philosopher's Stone. Utilize over 120 spells, transmute hundreds of items, and lead a team of wizards in a semi-automated combat system. Explore dozens of areas, uncover secrets, and experience over 60 hours of gameplay.

**Highlights:** Over 120 distinct spells, Transmute over 250 items, Control a team of wizards, Semi-automated combat system, Explore dozens of areas, Discover secrets and storylines, Retirement bonuses for faster progress

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fantastic sequel, better than the first
- 👍 Incredible sense of progression
- 💡 Fun build types, best in genre
- 👍 Incremental masterclass, gold standard
- 👍 True semi-idle masterpiece

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Extremely complicated, tedious timers
- 🐛 UI is absolutely atrocious
- 🐛 Time pieces cap out at 100k
- 🐛 UI issues, not easy to navigate
- 🐛 Sorting doesn't sort exactly as wanted

**Reported bugs**

- App instantly crashes on open
- Game crashes on startup
- App started rapidly pushing buttons on its own
- Overheating phone
- Lags and gets choppy in the late game

**Requested features**

- DLC or sequel news
- macOS version
- Better automation and convenience features
- Tweak familiar search time down
- Release the next one


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Merchant RPG free?

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

### Is Magic Research 2 free?

Magic Research 2 costs $4.69, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Merchant RPG or Magic Research 2?

Magic Research 2 is rated higher. Merchant RPG averages 4.6 out of 5 from 276 ratings, while Magic Research 2 averages 4.8 from 118 ratings.

### Do Merchant RPG or Magic Research 2 have ads?

Merchant RPG shows ads; Magic Research 2 does not.

### Which is updated more often, Merchant RPG or Magic Research 2?

Merchant RPG ships an update every 4 months, and Magic Research 2 every 3 days. Most recently, Merchant RPG was updated on October 24, 2026 and Magic Research 2 on October 25, 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.*