# LONER vs DREDGE

The clearest difference is price: DREDGE at Free against LONER's $1.99. DREDGE also leads on ratings volume (1.1K vs 86). LONER's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 8) and review sentiment (77% vs 60%). On rating, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

DREDGE is free to download; LONER costs $1.99 up front. DREDGE sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. LONER asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.2 for LONER against 4.3 for DREDGE. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: DREDGE has 1.1K ratings behind it against 86, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 77% of LONER's written reviews are positive against 60% of DREDGE's.

LONER ships an update every 5 weeks, DREDGE every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | LONER | DREDGE |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.2 (86 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/loner/id1180916723/reviews) | **[4.3 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dredge/id6526463862/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 86 | **1.1K** |
| Positive reviews | **77.3% of reviews** | 59.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#45** | — |
| Size | 279 MB | 785 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Kunpo](https://appshunter.io/developer/767379940) | [Black Salt Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/1756207154) |

## What reviewers say

### LONER

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/loner/id1180916723)

**Currently charting:** #45 Top Paid · Music (US App Store)

Experience a tranquil and solitary journey as a pilot navigating through a visually minimalist world. This game offers a unique, immersive experience with its simple mechanics, atmospheric music, and procedurally generated challenges that sync with the soundtrack.

**Highlights:** Unique two-hand sliding and gravity sensing controls, Visually simple yet varied color palettes, Original, atmospheric background music, Randomly generated obstacles synced to music, Story of a pilot's lonely journey

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎶 Beautiful music and soundtrack
- 🧘‍♀️ Relaxing and calming gameplay
- 🎨 Visually appealing and simple graphics
- 📖 Engaging story and narrative
- ✨ Unique and immersive experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📍 Requires location data to play
- 🚫 Game refuses to load without location access
- ❓ Unclear why location data is needed
- 🇨🇳 Settings and menus in Chinese (or other non-English languages)
- 🔊 Music cannot be turned off

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes or freezes
- Game does not load without location access
- Settings/menus in non-English languages
- Incomplete sentences or missing parts in story text
- Grammar issues in story, especially towards the end

**Requested features**

- Add more stories/chapters
- Option to turn off music
- Add more aircraft/landscapes
- Add tactile feedback for obstacles
- Improve English translation of story


### DREDGE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dredge/id6526463862)

Explore remote islands and their depths as a fishing trawler captain. Sell your catch, complete quests to uncover local secrets, and upgrade your boat. Beware of the dangers lurking in the dark.

**Highlights:** Explore remote islands and depths, Catch and sell diverse sea life, Complete quests to uncover secrets, Upgrade fishing boat and equipment, Survive nighttime dangers, Unravel a dark mystery

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Blackstone Key | $0.99 | one-time |
| The Pale Reach | $5.99 | one-time |
| The Iron Rig | $11.99 | one-time |
| Base Game Unlock | $24.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great game
- 🚀 Excellent port to mobile
- 🎮 Supports controllers
- 🎨 Stunning graphics
- 🕹️ Intuitive controls

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive for a mobile game
- 🔍 Misleading 'free' description
- 📱 Text/UI too small on phones
- 🐛 Crashes and performance issues
- 🎮 Controller support needs improvement

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on startup
- Controller issues
- Inventory/menu navigation problems

**Requested features**

- Larger text and UI options
- Cross-save between devices
- More content and DLC
- Minimap or navigation aids
- Ability to walk around boat/town


## Frequently asked questions

### Is LONER free?

LONER costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is DREDGE free?

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

### Which has better reviews, LONER or DREDGE?

DREDGE is rated higher. LONER averages 4.2 out of 5 from 86 ratings, while DREDGE averages 4.3 from 1.1K ratings.

### Do LONER or DREDGE have ads?

Neither LONER nor DREDGE shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, LONER or DREDGE?

LONER ships an update every 5 weeks, and DREDGE every 3 weeks. Most recently, LONER was updated on October 16, 2026 and DREDGE on October 19, 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.*