# NoStranger vs SIMULACRA

The clearest difference is price: NoStranger at Free against SIMULACRA's $4.99. SIMULACRA's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 months). On review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

NoStranger is free to download; SIMULACRA costs $4.99 up front. NoStranger sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. SIMULACRA asks for nothing beyond the download.

SIMULACRA holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SIMULACRA has 5.2K ratings behind it against 419, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 88% of NoStranger's written reviews are positive against 92% of SIMULACRA's.

NoStranger ships an update every 6 months, SIMULACRA fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NoStranger | SIMULACRA |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $4.99 |
| Rating | [4.6 (419 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nostranger/id1193014248/reviews) | **[4.9 (5.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simulacra/id1252035454/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 419 | **5.2K** |
| Positive reviews | 88.0% of reviews | **91.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#54** |
| Size | 160 MB | 604 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **9.3** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Black Vein Productions, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1193014247) | [KAIGAN GAMES OUe](https://appshunter.io/developer/1252035453) |

## What reviewers say

### NoStranger

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nostranger/id1193014248)

Engage in a user-choice-driven narrative where you uncover a stranger's identity, motivations, and secrets. Explore virtual worlds through real-time conversations, searching blogs, social media, and contacting characters to piece together a compelling story.

**Highlights:** User-choice-driven narrative, Real-time conversation, Search blogs and social media, Contact story characters, Immersive virtual world exploration, Believable experience with real websites

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Buy some Flubbertons | $0.99 | one-time |
| Buy some more Flubbertons | $4.99 | one-time |
| Buy ALOT of Flubbertons | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Immersive and interactive experience
- 🤔 Thought-provoking storyline
- 🕵️‍♀️ Engaging scavenger hunt-style gameplay
- 🎨 Unique and creative concept

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Broken links and offline locations
- ⏱️ Frustrating wait times between interactions
- 🤔 Unclear or unsatisfying ending
- 🔍 Lack of in-game feedback/guidance

**Reported bugs**

- Inconsistent save/progress tracking
- Glitches that reset player choices

**Requested features**

- More content and chapters
- Ability to skip wait times without ads
- Clearer story resolution and explanations


### SIMULACRA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simulacra/id1252035454)

**Currently charting:** #54 Top Paid · Role Playing, #115 Top Paid · Simulation (US App Store)

Explore a lost phone to uncover a desperate cry for help. Piece together fragmented clues from texts, emails, and photos to solve a mystery. This immersive narrative thriller uses a realistic mobile phone interface with live actors and real locations.

**Highlights:** Explore a world through a mobile phone interface, Use popular phone apps like dating and social media, Expansive narrative with multiple endings, Live actors and extensive voice cast, Solve decryption puzzles

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Immersive experience
- 👍 Engaging story and characters
- 🤯 Creepy and suspenseful
- 💎 Multiple endings and replayability
- 🎨 Well-designed phone interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 👎 Uneven voice acting quality
- 🤔 Some story elements left unexplained

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashing at certain points
- Difficulty progressing past specific scenes

**Requested features**

- More endings and branching storylines
- Expanded character interactions
- Improved accessibility options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NoStranger free?

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

### Is SIMULACRA free?

SIMULACRA costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, NoStranger or SIMULACRA?

SIMULACRA is rated higher. NoStranger averages 4.6 out of 5 from 419 ratings, while SIMULACRA averages 4.9 from 5.2K ratings.

### Do NoStranger or SIMULACRA have ads?

Neither NoStranger nor SIMULACRA shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, NoStranger or SIMULACRA?

NoStranger ships an update every 6 months, and SIMULACRA fortnightly. Most recently, NoStranger was updated on October 24, 2026 and SIMULACRA on October 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.*