# Dead Orbit vs HAWK

The clearest difference is ads: Dead Orbit at none against HAWK's shown. Dead Orbit also leads on review sentiment (71% vs 52%) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). HAWK's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 13 months) and ratings volume (9.3K vs 6). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Dead Orbit sells 12 one-off in-app purchases and HAWK sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

HAWK holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HAWK has 9.3K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 71% of Dead Orbit's written reviews are positive against 52% of HAWK's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Dead Orbit ships an update every 13 months, HAWK every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dead Orbit | HAWK |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dead-orbit/id1060017115/reviews) | **[4.4 (9.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hawk-airplane-space-games/id1145878423/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 6 | **9.3K** |
| Positive reviews | **71.4% of reviews** | 52.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 13 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 253 MB | 798 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Inlogic Software s.r.o.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1090835521) | [Keystorm Holdings Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1436961937) |

## What reviewers say

### Dead Orbit

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dead-orbit/id1060017115)

Pilot a spaceship through deep space, battling an evil empire in this classic arcade shooter. Upgrade your weapons and defenses to survive intense barrages of enemy fire and meteorites. Experience stunning visuals and an electronic soundtrack as you fight to restore peace to the galaxy.

**Highlights:** Intensive arcade shoot 'em up gameplay, Vast variety of levels, Extreme boss battles, Upgrade shields, guns, missiles, lasers, and magnets, Stunning game visuals and skins, Accessible to casual and hardcore gamers

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

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Skin Draco | $0.99 | one-time |
| Skin Fire | $0.99 | one-time |
| Skin Red | $0.99 | one-time |
| Skin Alien Skull | $0.99 | one-time |
| Skin Ram Skull | $0.99 | one-time |
| Skin Human Skull | $0.99 | one-time |
| Skin Toxic Fire | $0.99 | one-time |
| Skin Violet | $0.99 | one-time |
| Skin White | $0.99 | one-time |
| Skin Yellow | $0.99 | one-time |
| Skin Orange | $0.99 | one-time |
| Coin Doubler | $3.99 | one-time |


### HAWK

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hawk-airplane-space-games/id1145878423)

Engage in intense aerial combat against alien invaders in this thrilling shoot 'em up game. Team up with friends or other players in co-op mode to overcome vast enemy armadas and challenging bosses. Explore a wide array of aircraft, upgrades, and game modes for endless action.

**Highlights:** 240+ levels of aerial combat, Unique co-op multiplayer mode, Multiple game modes (Arcade, Team-up, Assault), Vast selection of aircraft and upgrades, Epic boss battles, Stunning 3D graphics

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Black Box Stabilizer | $1.99 | one-time |
| Premium Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Personal Offer | $2.99 | one-time |
| 1 Pilots deck | $3.99 | one-time |
| Crystal Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Premium crystal pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Avalon Battle Pass | $4.99 | one-time |
| Crystal pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Premium crystal pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Crystal pack | $19.99 | one-time |
| Premium crystal pack | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Addictive and fun gameplay
- 🎨 Great graphics and visuals
- 🤝 Enjoyable co-op experience
- 💰 Generous free-to-play model

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Greedy monetization practices
- 🔄 Repetitive and grindy progression
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🕰️ Slow energy/fuel regeneration

**Reported bugs**

- Rewards not appearing after levels
- Overdrives/abilities not functioning properly
- Inconsistent server connectivity

**Requested features**

- Improved matchmaking for co-op
- More varied level and enemy designs
- Ability to rewatch cutscenes
- Cloud save/sync across devices


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Dead Orbit free?

Dead Orbit is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is HAWK free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Dead Orbit or HAWK?

HAWK is rated higher. Dead Orbit averages 4.2 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while HAWK averages 4.4 from 9.3K ratings.

### Do Dead Orbit or HAWK have ads?

HAWK shows ads; Dead Orbit does not.

### Which is updated more often, Dead Orbit or HAWK?

Dead Orbit ships an update every 13 months, and HAWK every 2 months. Most recently, Dead Orbit was updated on October 24, 2026 and HAWK on October 30, 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.*