Comparison

Protocol vs Arcaea

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

Head to head
About

Protocol

Experience a unique rhythm game set in a musical hyperspace. Enjoy tense 3D note patterns synchronized with music from famous artists and popular game soundtracks. Optimized for smartphones and tablets.

Highlights
  • Unique 3D visual note patterns
  • Music from famous artists
  • Soundtracks from popular games
  • Optimized for smartphone/tablet
  • Tense rhythm gameplay
Features
Read full description

The feast of rhythm and beat in the Hyperspace! New kind of rhythm game Protocol : hyperspace Diver is Released! Let's DIVE into musical hyperspace ▶ Providing unique visual and tense note pattern in 3D space ▶ Music Dive with splendid music of famous artist such as ESTi / M2U / TAK / SQUARE MUSIQ... ▶ You can play Masterpiece of music from "Dragon flight / Destiny child" - popular games of NextFloor ▶ Play newest rhythm game optimized in Smartphone / Tablet Now! * Due to latency of the sound system, beat sync would not fit perfectly with Bluetooth devices. Using wired earphone or headphone is recommended.

About

Arcaea

Experience a unique rhythm game that blends challenging gameplay with an immersive story. Progress through a narrative driven by your performance, unlock new difficulties, and compete with others online. Enjoy a vast library of music, with more available through content packs.

Highlights
  • Novel gameplay mechanics
  • Immersive sound and story
  • High difficulty ceiling
  • Over 350 songs
  • 3 rhythm difficulty levels per song
  • Real-time online multiplayer
  • Rich Main Story and Side Stories
Read full description

New Dimension Rhythm Game - Experience sound and story unlike ever before. "A harmony of Light awaits you in a lost world of musical Conflict." In a world of white, and surrounded by “memory”, two girls awaken under glass-filled skies. Arcaea is a mobile rhythm game for both experienced and new rhythm game players alike, blending novel gameplay, immersive sound, and a powerful story of wonder and heartache. Experience gameplay that reflects the story’s emotions and events—and progress to unlock more of this unfurling narrative. Challenging trials can be discovered through play, higher difficulties can be unlocked, and a real-time online mode is available to face off against other players. Arcaea does not require an internet connection for play, and is fully playable both on smartphones and tablets. On install the game includes a large library of free playable songs, and more can be made available by acquiring additional songs and content packs. ==Features== - A high difficulty ceiling - experience personal growth as you develop skills in arcade-style progression - Over 350 songs from more than 200 artists famous across other games - 3 rhythm difficulty levels for every song - An expanding music library through regular content updates - Collaborations with other beloved rhythm games - Online friends and scoreboards - Real-time online multiplayer - A Course Mode that tests endurance through gauntlets of songs - A rich Main Story that features two protagonist’s perspectives across a powerful journey - Additional Side and Short Stories of varying styles and perspectives featuring the game’s characters that build upon the world of Arcaea - A vast array of original characters and guest characters from collaborations to accompany you, level up, and alter your play through many game-changing skills - Stunning, never-before-seen connections to storylines via gameplay, challenging the very paradigm of play ==Story== Two girls find themselves in a colorless world full of memory, and with no memory of themselves. Each alone, they set out into places often beautiful, and just as often dangerous. Arcaea’s story is interwoven throughout Main, Side, and Short stories which each focus on individual, playable characters. While separate, they all share the same space: the world of Arcaea. Their reactions to it, and its reactions to them, form an ever-shifting narrative of mystery, sorrow, and bliss. As they explore this heavenly place, follow their steps down paths of glass and grief. --- Follow Arcaea & News: Twitter: http://twitter.com/arcaea_en Facebook: http://facebook.com/arcaeagame

Screenshots

Protocol4 screens
Arcaea4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Arcaea at 4.8 against Protocol's 4.2. Arcaea also leads on update cadence (every 8 days vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (25K vs 53). Protocol's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 12.4). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support 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. Arcaea sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Protocol asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Arcaea holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Arcaea has 25K ratings behind it against 53, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 79% and 78% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Protocol ships an update every 3 months, Arcaea every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Protocol versus Arcaea: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterProtocolArcaea
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (53 ratings)4.8 (25K ratings) — better
Positive reviews78.5% of reviews — better78.4% of reviews
Number of ratings5325K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 8 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#66 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.0 — better12.4
Further details — not scored
Size274 MB1.2 GB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperLINE Gameslowiro

Customer experience

Protocol

All ratings53 ratings
Positive77.4%
Neutral7.5%
Negative15.1%
Written reviews149 reviews
Positive78.5%
Neutral6.7%
Negative14.8%

Arcaea

All ratings24,557 ratings
Positive96.6%
Neutral1.4%
Negative1.9%
Written reviews1,245 reviews
Positive78.4%
Neutral6.7%
Negative14.9%

Bugs and requests

Protocol

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Arcaea

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Login issues and account sync problems
  • Compatibility problems on certain devices
  • Crashes and freezes during gameplay

Requested features

5 requests
  • Multiplayer mode to compete with friends
  • Ability to earn premium currency through gameplay
  • More free song options to explore the game
  • Customizable note speed and offset settings
  • Improved story mode and character development

In-app purchases

None

Protocol

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Arcaea

One-time3
  • 100 Memories$0.99
  • 510 Memories$4.99
  • 1020 Memories$9.99

Questions

Is Protocol free?
Protocol is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Arcaea free?
Arcaea is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Protocol or Arcaea?
Arcaea is rated higher. Protocol averages 4.2 out of 5 from 53 ratings, while Arcaea averages 4.8 from 25K ratings.
Do Protocol or Arcaea have ads?
Neither Protocol nor Arcaea shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Protocol or Arcaea?
Protocol ships an update every 3 months, and Arcaea every 8 days. Most recently, Protocol was updated on September 23, 2026 and Arcaea on September 27, 2026.

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