# Grid Glory vs Ethos Idle

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Grid Glory at none against Ethos Idle's 1. Grid Glory also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Ethos Idle's advantage is ratings volume (239 vs 3). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Ethos Idle sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Grid Glory asks for nothing beyond the download.

Grid Glory holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ethos Idle has 239 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 83% of Grid Glory's written reviews are positive against 84% of Ethos Idle's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Grid Glory | Ethos Idle |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/grid-glory/id1109301211/reviews)** | [4.8 (239 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ethos-idle/id6737059942/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **239** |
| Positive reviews | 83.3% of reviews | **84.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 41 MB | 101 MB |
| Requires iOS | **6.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Masahiro Kano](https://appshunter.io/developer/990985544) | [Graham Goldstein](https://appshunter.io/developer/1618966149) |

## What reviewers say

### Grid Glory

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/grid-glory/id1109301211)

A simple 2D simulation RPG where you build an unbeatable party by recruiting powerful units. Assemble a team of up to 60 units from 30 different types to conquer challenges. This game offers an engaging experience for players who enjoy strategic party building.

**Highlights:** 2D simulation RPG gameplay, Build a party of up to 60 units, Recruit from 30 unit types, Strategic party formation, Completely free to play

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Ethos Idle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ethos-idle/id6737059942)

Guide humanity's progress from its earliest discoveries to the distant future. Manage your tribe's choices, develop over 200 unique ideas, and explore the world. Advance your civilization, unlock bonuses, and enjoy a single-player, offline experience with optional ads.

**Highlights:** Develop over 200 historic ideas, Explore and exploit the world, Manage tribe choices, Unlock exploration bonuses and synergies, Prestige mechanic upgrades, Customizable challenge scenarios, Offline single-player experience

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| x2 Speed | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast progression
- 👍 Minimal ad interruption
- 👍 Simple and enjoyable design
- 👍 Great for relaxing and watching numbers go up
- 👍 Excellent incremental game design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐢 Slower progression speed desired
- 🛒 IAP for 2x production doesn't eliminate video ads

**Reported bugs**

- RNG for challenges is unfair and unfun
- Unlocking buffs for inaccessible technologies

**Requested features**

- Option to remove ads entirely
- Clarification on prestige warp gain multipliers


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Grid Glory free?

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

### Is Ethos Idle free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Grid Glory or Ethos Idle?

Grid Glory is rated higher. Grid Glory averages 5.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Ethos Idle averages 4.8 from 239 ratings.

### Do Grid Glory or Ethos Idle have ads?

Ethos Idle shows ads; Grid Glory does not.

### Which is updated more often, Grid Glory or Ethos Idle?

Grid Glory ships an update fortnightly, and Ethos Idle fortnightly. Most recently, Grid Glory was updated on October 4, 2026 and Ethos Idle on September 29, 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.*