# Pathos vs Shattered Pixel Dungeon

The clearest difference is price: Pathos at Free against Shattered Pixel Dungeon's $4.99. Shattered Pixel Dungeon's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 4 months) and rating (4.9 vs 4.7). On review sentiment, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Pathos is free to download; Shattered Pixel Dungeon costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Shattered Pixel Dungeon holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shattered Pixel Dungeon has 4.2K ratings behind it against 360, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 89% of Pathos's written reviews are positive against 93% of Shattered Pixel Dungeon's.

Pathos ships an update every 4 months, Shattered Pixel Dungeon fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pathos | Shattered Pixel Dungeon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $4.99 |
| Rating | [4.7 (360 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pathos-nethack-codex/id1045848120/reviews) | **[4.9 (4.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shattered-pixel-dungeon/id1563121109/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 360 | **4.2K** |
| Positive reviews | 88.6% of reviews | **93.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | **#9** |
| Size | 142 MB | 134 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.2** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Callan Hodgskin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1045848119) | [Evan Debenham](https://appshunter.io/developer/1562920988) |

## What reviewers say

### Pathos

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pathos-nethack-codex/id1045848120)

Embark on a challenging roguelike adventure inspired by Nethack's rule set. Select from 13 distinct classes and delve into a perilous dungeon. Your mission is to confront your nemesis in hell and escape with as much treasure as possible.

**Highlights:** Nethack-inspired gameplay, 13 playable classes, Deep dungeon exploration, Defeat nemesis in hell, Loot collection and escape

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Shattered Pixel Dungeon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shattered-pixel-dungeon/id1563121109)

**Currently charting:** #9 Top Paid · Role Playing, #17 Top Paid · Adventure, #102 Top Paid · Games, #158 Top Paid (US App Store)

Embark on a challenging roguelike dungeon crawl with six unique heroes. Explore procedurally generated levels, collect hundreds of items, and battle diverse enemies and bosses. Master unique hero mechanics and unlock powerful abilities to survive the depths.

**Highlights:** Six unique heroes with distinct playstyles, Procedurally generated dungeons and randomized enemies, Hundreds of items to collect, upgrade, and craft, Talent trees and subclass progression for heroes, Challenging bosses and optional achievements, Regular content updates

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Endless replayability
- 👍 Polished and well-designed
- 🎨 Excellent pixel art and aesthetics
- 💡 Innovative mechanics and depth
- 🕹️ Challenging yet rewarding gameplay

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤯 Extremely challenging and punishing
- 🕰️ Runs can feel too long
- 🤖 Overpowered enemy mechanics (e.g. evasion)

**Reported bugs**

- Sound effects not working on iOS
- Occasional crashes or freezes

**Requested features**

- Permadeath optional mode
- Ability to continue progress across devices
- More character classes and customization options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pathos free?

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

### Is Shattered Pixel Dungeon free?

Shattered Pixel Dungeon costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Pathos or Shattered Pixel Dungeon?

Shattered Pixel Dungeon is rated higher. Pathos averages 4.7 out of 5 from 360 ratings, while Shattered Pixel Dungeon averages 4.9 from 4.2K ratings.

### Do Pathos or Shattered Pixel Dungeon have ads?

Neither Pathos nor Shattered Pixel Dungeon shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pathos or Shattered Pixel Dungeon?

Pathos ships an update every 4 months, and Shattered Pixel Dungeon fortnightly. Most recently, Pathos was updated on October 16, 2026 and Shattered Pixel Dungeon on October 17, 2026.

---

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