# Defender 1 vs Defender Reborn

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.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Defender 1 | Defender Reborn |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/defender-1/id1038282445/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/defender-reborn/id6791315802/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 31.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 38 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 45 MB | 96 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [APD Consulting, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/506064473) | [Mark Mangieri](https://appshunter.io/developer/1689388804) |

## What reviewers say

### Defender 1

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/defender-1/id1038282445)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Faithful recreation of original game
- 🤩 Nostalgic experience
- 💰 Good value for price
- ✨ Good graphics
- 🕹️ Joystick option available

**What reviewers complain about**

- 👎 Awful, unresponsive controls
- 🐌 Very slow gameplay
- 💥 Frequent crashes
- 🔇 No sound or intermittent sound
- 🕹️ Poorly spaced controls

**Reported bugs**

- No sound on iPad
- No sound on iPhone
- Intermittent sound
- App crashes often
- Enemies don't move

**Requested features**

- Update to fix sound issues
- Update to fix crashing
- Enable game controller support
- Improve control responsiveness
- Adjust control spacing


### Defender Reborn

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/defender-reborn/id6791315802)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $0.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked 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.

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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.*