Comparison

Defender 1 vs Defender Reborn

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Defender 1

Relive a classic arcade experience by defending astronauts from alien abduction and destroying enemy ships. Be careful not to harm the astronauts, as their safety is crucial to preventing planetary destruction and mutant alien transformations.

Highlights
  • Defend astronauts from aliens
  • Obliterate enemy spaceships
  • Avoid friendly fire
  • Prevent planetary explosion
  • Mutant alien transformations
Features
Read full description

DEFENDER 1 brings the excitement of classic 1980s arcade action to your mobile device! Take control of your spacecraft and defend the planet from relentless waves of alien invaders. Your mission is simple—but surviving it won't be. Protect the astronauts on the planet's surface as alien Landers attempt to abduct them. Destroy the enemy ships, rescue the astronauts, and watch your fire—an astronaut caught in the crossfire is one less person you can save. Fail to protect the astronauts and the consequences are catastrophic: the planet will be destroyed and the surviving aliens will transform into deadly Mutants! Battle a variety of enemies, master fast-paced arcade combat, and push your skills to the limit as the action becomes increasingly intense. Features include: Classic arcade-inspired space combat Fast-paced alien battles Astronaut rescue missions Multiple enemy types with different behaviors Touch controls and game controller support Customizable gamepad controls High-score tracking Retro-inspired graphics and gameplay Defend the astronauts. Destroy the invaders. Save the planet. How long can you survive in DEFENDER 1?

About

Defender Reborn

Defend humanity's last colonists from alien raiders in this reimagined retro arcade shoot-'em-up. Experience classic gameplay rebuilt for modern touch screens.

Highlights
  • Retro arcade shoot-'em-up gameplay
  • Rebuilt for modern touch screens
  • Defend colonists from alien raiders
  • Classic arcade tribute
Features
Read full description

Humanity's last colonists are under siege. Alien raiders are sweeping in from every side to snatch them from the surface below — and you're the only ship standing between them and total abduction. DEFENDER REBORN brings the golden-age arcade shoot-'em-up back to life, rebuilt from scratch for modern touch screens. Enjoyed DEFENDER REBORN? I also made METEORIC, another classic arcade tribute, and ALIENSWARMS, an original 3D space combat game unlike anything else -- both available on the App Store.

Screenshots

Defender 14 screens
Defender Reborn4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Defender Reborn at Free against Defender 1's $2.99. Defender Reborn also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.5) and update cadence (weekly vs every 38 months). Defender 1's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On ratings volume, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Defender Reborn is free to download; Defender 1 costs $2.99 up front. Defender Reborn sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Defender 1 asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Defender Reborn holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 2 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Defender 1 ships an update every 38 months, Defender Reborn weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Defender 1 versus Defender Reborn: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDefender 1Defender Reborn
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating3.5 (2 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews31.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings22
Update frequencyEvery 38 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size45 MB96 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperAPD Consulting, Inc.Mark Mangieri

Customer experience

Defender 1

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews71 reviews
Positive31.0%
Neutral4.2%
Negative64.8%

Defender Reborn

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Defender 1

Reported bugs

7 issues
  • No sound on iPad
  • No sound on iPhone
  • Intermittent sound
  • App crashes often
  • Enemies don't move
Show 2 more
  • Ship doesn't continue moving after thrusters stop
  • Lasers don't react properly when changing direction

Requested features

10 requests
  • Update to fix sound issues
  • Update to fix crashing
  • Enable game controller support
  • Improve control responsiveness
  • Adjust control spacing
Show 5 more
  • Add vertical-only joystick option
  • Add tilt control for travel motion
  • Add separate button for direction change
  • Add more stages
  • Improve graphics (less pixelated)

Defender Reborn

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Defender 1

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Defender Reborn

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$0.99

Questions

Is Defender 1 free?
Defender 1 costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Defender Reborn free?
Defender Reborn is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Defender 1 or Defender Reborn?
Defender Reborn is rated higher. Defender 1 averages 3.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Defender Reborn averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Defender 1 or Defender Reborn have ads?
Defender Reborn shows ads; Defender 1 does not.
Which is updated more often, Defender 1 or Defender Reborn?
Defender 1 ships an update every 38 months, and Defender Reborn weekly. Most recently, Defender 1 was updated on November 2, 2026 and Defender Reborn on October 31, 2026.

Other comparisons