# Realm Grinder vs TownsFolk

The clearest difference is ads: TownsFolk at none against Realm Grinder's shown. TownsFolk also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 weeks) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). Realm Grinder's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Realm Grinder sells 9 one-off in-app purchases and TownsFolk sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

TownsFolk holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3.1K and 3.3K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 64% of Realm Grinder's written reviews are positive against 73% of TownsFolk's.

Realm Grinder ships an update every 6 weeks, TownsFolk every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Realm Grinder | TownsFolk |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (3.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/realm-grinder/id1110149506/reviews) | **[4.7 (3.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/townsfolk/id6670406987/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 3.1K | **3.3K** |
| Positive reviews | 63.8% of reviews | **72.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 53 MB | 256 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV** |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kongregate](https://appshunter.io/developer/491569846) | [Short Circuit Studio](https://appshunter.io/developer/1681849083) |

## What reviewers say

### Realm Grinder

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/realm-grinder/id1110149506)

Build a vast kingdom from humble beginnings, earning wealth even offline. Explore deep strategic choices by aligning with diverse factions, unlocking hundreds of upgrades, and discovering new game systems. Enjoy frequent events and collect numerous achievements.

**Highlights:** Kingdom building and offline wealth generation, Deep strategic choices with multiple factions, Hundreds of upgrades and unique buildings, Unlock new game systems and content, Collect hundreds of achievements, Frequent in-game events

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Gift of the Heroes | $4.99 | one-time |
| Small Pack of Rubies | $4.99 | one-time |
| Gift of the Kings | $9.99 | one-time |
| Medium Pack of Rubies | $9.99 | one-time |
| Gift of the Faithful | $9.99 | one-time |
| Gift of the Myths | $14.99 | one-time |
| Gift of the Gods | $19.99 | one-time |
| Large Pack of Rubies | $19.99 | one-time |
| Huge Pack of Rubies | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fantastic game, getting even better
- 🚀 Best idle game imo
- 🚀 Really Good!
- 🚀 Great game, just hard to read the text
- 🚀 Amazing, Addicting, Creative, and Addicting Game!

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Scry not working - no response from support team
- 🐛 Crashes constantly
- 🐛 Impossible to read/play on iPhone 12
- 🐛 Impossible to read/play on iPhone 12
- 🐛 Broke

**Reported bugs**

- Scry not working since last release
- Crashes constantly
- Impossible to read/play on iPhone 12
- Impossible to read/play on iPhone 12
- Can't collect lava stone, only holy symbols

**Requested features**

- Have to add some faction wars
- Change the screen bigger for newer iPhone models please
- Please add Chinese
- Please add Chinese
- Suggestion


### TownsFolk

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/townsfolk/id6670406987)

Lead settlers to build and expand a thriving colony in a mysterious and dangerous world. Manage resources, make critical decisions, and overcome challenges to ensure your settlement's survival. Explore the unknown, face disasters, and appease a demanding king.

**Highlights:** Build and expand settlements, Explore unknown territories, Survive challenges and disasters, Roguelite strategy gameplay, Skirmish and puzzle modes, Handcrafted pixel art visuals, Weekly challenge mode

**Features:** Game Controller support, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Shadow of Empires bundle | $2.99 | one-time |
| TownsFolk: A new world | $8.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fun game
- 👍 Solid tutorial
- 👍 Portrait mode
- 👍 Great city sim game
- 👍 Interesting mechanics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and freezes
- 🔋 Drains battery
- 💰 Requires payment after tutorial
- 🔍 Needs better balancing
- 🔍 Needs deeper gameplay

**Reported bugs**

- Tutorial freezes the game
- Can't build anything and days don't progress
- Save data reverts or gets corrupted

**Requested features**

- Creative/easy mode to keep progress
- Leaderboards and daily challenges


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Realm Grinder free?

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

### Is TownsFolk free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Realm Grinder or TownsFolk?

TownsFolk is rated higher. Realm Grinder averages 4.5 out of 5 from 3.1K ratings, while TownsFolk averages 4.7 from 3.3K ratings.

### Do Realm Grinder or TownsFolk have ads?

Realm Grinder shows ads; TownsFolk does not.

### Which is updated more often, Realm Grinder or TownsFolk?

Realm Grinder ships an update every 6 weeks, and TownsFolk every 2 weeks. Most recently, Realm Grinder was updated on November 4, 2026 and TownsFolk on November 9, 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.*