Comparison

Pokémon GO vs SwordArtOnline

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

Head to head
About

Pokémon GO

Explore your surroundings to discover and catch virtual creatures. Journey with your companions, battle in gyms, and team up with others for powerful raids. Get moving for real-life adventures!

Highlights
  • Discover Pokémon in the real world
  • Catch Pokémon to complete Pokédex
  • Journey with Buddy Pokémon
  • Compete in Gym battles
  • Team up for Raid Battles
  • Utilize Adventure Sync for walking distance
Read full description

Join Trainers across the globe who are discovering Pokémon as they explore the world around them. Pokémon GO is the global gaming sensation that has been downloaded over 1 billion times and named “Best Mobile Game” by the Game Developers Choice Awards and “Best App of the Year” by TechCrunch. _______________ UNCOVER THE WORLD OF POKÉMON: Explore and discover Pokémon wherever you are! CATCH more Pokémon to complete your Pokédex! JOURNEY alongside your Buddy Pokémon to help make your Pokémon stronger and earn rewards! COMPETE in epic Gym battles and... TEAM UP and UNITE with other Trainers to catch powerful Pokémon during Raid Battles! It’s time to get moving—your real-life adventures await! Let’s GO! _______________ With the player’s permission, Adventure Sync uses the Health app to enable the player to earn walking distance when the app is closed. Notes: - This app is free-to-play and offers in-game purchases. It is optimized for smartphones, not tablets. - It is recommended to play while connected to a network in order to obtain accurate location information. - Compatibility is not guaranteed for devices without GPS capabilities or devices that are connected only to Wi-Fi networks. - Compatibility information may be changed at any time. - Information current as of July 11, 2019. - Compatible with iPhone® 5s / SE / 6 / 6s / 6 Plus / 6s Plus / 7 / 7 Plus / 8 / 8 Plus / X devices with iOS Version 9 or later installed. - Not compatible with 5th generation iPod Touch devices or iPhone 5c or earlier iPhone devices. - Please visit PokemonGO.com for additional compatibility information. - Compatibility is not guaranteed for all devices. - Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically reduce battery life.

About

SwordArtOnline

Step into the world of Sword Art Online as the protagonist in this MMORPG. Team up with other players to conquer Aincrad, forge weapons, and experience an "what-if" story that diverges from the original anime.

Highlights
  • Become the protagonist
  • Cooperative MMORPG gameplay
  • Experience original SAO story from your POV
  • Forge weapons and use skills
  • Battle monsters and complete quests
  • Behind-the-scenes stories
Read full description

The newest Sword Art Online game! This time, the protagonist is...you! You appear in this online RPG as a member of an Assault Team, working with other imprisoned players to reach the 100th floor of Aincrad! What if you were trapped in a game of life or death? You can experience meeting familiar characters and connecting to the original SAO story from your own POV. Experience behind-the-scenes stories not seen in the original SAO, and completely different story developments! Live out a "what-if" story where you affect Aincrad! Battle System Fight through the sprawling fields of Aincrad with your partner Koharu, trapped together in a game of life and death! You'll need to cooperate with Assault Teams across the land and battle together to beat powerful monsters and tough quests! Forging stronger weapons, using skills with all kinds of effects, and preparing for each enemy's weak points and attack patterns are all key to your success! -Boost Mode is a monthly subscription that gives you the following boosts: -Important ・Boost Mode is valid for a month starting from the purchased date and will be automatically renewed each month. ・If cancelled during the validity period, you will continue receiving effect of the boosts until you log out after the expiration date. ・You cannot make duplicate purchases during the validity period. ・Please be aware that deleting the app does not cancel this subscription. -Payment, Duration, Renewal ・Payment of this subscription will be made through Apple ID. ・If cancellation is not made 24 hours prior to the expiration date, the subscription will be renewed automatically. ・The one-month subscription will be renewed automatically within 24 hours before the expiry date and monthly charges will occur at every renewal. -Cancellation ・This subscription must be canceled at least 24 hours prior to the expiration date. ・Cancellation may be completed through the following procedure. 1. Tap Settings > [your name] > iTunes & App Store 2. Tap "Apple ID"" at the top of the screen. 3. Tap "View Apple ID"" then ""Subscriptions" 4. Tap "Boost Mode" purchased on "SWORD ART ONLINE: Integral Factor" to see the purchase history. 5. Cancel subscription by tapping ""Cancel Subscription"" Other Precautions ・There is a possibility that connection problems may occur when purchasing, so please do not close the application while purchase is still processing. ・Terms of Service http://legal.bandainamcoent.co.jp/terms/ ・Privacy Policy http://legal.bandainamcoent.co.jp/privacy/ Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. Website: https://bandainamcoent.co.jp/english/ By downloading or installing this app, you agree to the Bandai Namco Entertainment Terms of Service. Terms of Service: https://legal.bandainamcoent.co.jp/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://legal.bandainamcoent.co.jp/privacy/ Note: This game contains some items available for in-app purchase that can enhance gameplay and speed up your progress. In-app purchases can be disabled in your device settings, see https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201304 for more details. This application is distributed under the official rights from the license holder.

Screenshots

Pokémon GO4 screens
SwordArtOnline4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: SwordArtOnline at none against Pokémon GO's shown. SwordArtOnline also leads on rating (4.4 vs 4.0) and review sentiment (69% vs 44%). Pokémon GO's advantage is ratings volume (657K vs 12K) and chart position (#1 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Both are free to download. Pokémon GO sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and SwordArtOnline sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SwordArtOnline holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pokémon GO has 657K ratings behind it against 12K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 44% of Pokémon GO's written reviews are positive against 69% of SwordArtOnline's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pokémon GO ships an update weekly, SwordArtOnline fortnightly. Both last shipped on November 7, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Pokémon GO versus SwordArtOnline: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPokémon GOSwordArtOnline
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (657K ratings)4.4 (12K ratings) — better
Positive reviews43.7% of reviews68.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings657K — better12K
Update frequencyWeekly — betterFortnightly
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#1 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size390 MB391 MB
Age rating9+12+
DeveloperScopely Explore, Inc.Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc.

Customer experience

Pokémon GO

All ratings656,104 ratings
Positive73.8%
Neutral5.6%
Negative20.6%
Written reviews8,767 reviews
Positive43.7%
Neutral9.7%
Negative46.6%

SwordArtOnline

All ratings11,937 ratings
Positive84.7%
Neutral5.4%
Negative9.8%
Written reviews466 reviews
Positive68.9%
Neutral12.9%
Negative18.2%

User reviews

Pokémon GO

From 657K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Addictive and fun gameplay
  • 👍 Encourages outdoor activity
  • 🚀 Frequent updates and new content
  • 👍 Brings people together
  • 🚀 Innovative AR features

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
  • 🔋 Drains battery quickly
  • 🔒 Privacy concerns with data collection
  • 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
  • 🚫 Inaccessible for rural/disabled players

SwordArtOnline

From 12K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent graphics and visuals
  • 👍 Engaging storyline and characters
  • 🎮 Smooth and responsive gameplay
  • 📱 Great mobile experience
  • 🎨 Customizable character creation

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • 🔁 Repetitive and grindy gameplay
  • 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
  • 🕰️ Slow progression and level grinding
  • 🔇 Audio issues and sound cutting out

Bugs and requests

Pokémon GO

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • GPS/location issues causing gameplay problems
  • Bugs with egg hatching and buddy Pokémon
  • Inconsistent performance across devices
  • Glitches with raid battles and rewards

Requested features

5 requests
  • In-game chat/communication system
  • Ability to trade items between players
  • More customization options for avatars
  • Improved tracking and spawn system
  • Easier access to rare/legendary Pokémon

SwordArtOnline

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Bosses disappearing during battles
  • Characters getting stuck and becoming invisible
  • Inability to change servers or send messages to friends
  • Arcana gems not being properly credited
  • Constant update loop with no available updates

Requested features

7 requests
  • Controller support
  • Ability to change partner character's appearance
  • In-game trading system
  • Player-vs-player (PvP) mode
  • More diverse weapon and skill options
Show 2 more
  • Ability to replay story dialogues
  • Improved social features like guilds and chat

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Pokémon GO

One-time10
  • 100 PokéCoins$0.99
  • Event Bonus$0.99
  • Evergreen Ticket 1$1.99
Show 7 more
  • 550 PokéCoins$4.99
  • Ticket$4.99
  • Event Ticket$4.99
  • 1,200 PokéCoins$9.99
  • 2,500 PokéCoins$19.99
  • 5,200 PokéCoins$39.99
  • 14,500 PokéCoins$99.99
10 purchases

SwordArtOnline

Subscriptions1
  • Boost Mode$8.991 Month
One-time9
  • Arcanagem A$0.99
  • Arcanagem B$3.99
  • 1H Sword Rookie's Pack$3.99
Show 6 more
  • Arcanagem C$7.99
  • Arcana Gem Pack$7.99
  • Arcanagem D$12.99
  • Arcanagem E$26.99
  • Arcanagem F$39.99
  • Arcanagem G$79.99

Questions

Is Pokémon GO free?
Pokémon GO is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SwordArtOnline free?
SwordArtOnline is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Pokémon GO or SwordArtOnline?
SwordArtOnline is rated higher. Pokémon GO averages 4.0 out of 5 from 657K ratings, while SwordArtOnline averages 4.4 from 12K ratings.
Do Pokémon GO or SwordArtOnline have ads?
Pokémon GO shows ads; SwordArtOnline does not.
Which is updated more often, Pokémon GO or SwordArtOnline?
Pokémon GO ships an update weekly, and SwordArtOnline fortnightly. Most recently, Pokémon GO was updated on November 7, 2026 and SwordArtOnline on November 7, 2026.

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