# Arcaea vs MuseDash

The clearest difference is price: Arcaea at Free against MuseDash's $2.99. Arcaea also leads on update cadence (every 8 days vs monthly). MuseDash's advantage is chart position (#7 vs #70). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Arcaea is free to download; MuseDash costs $2.99 up front. Arcaea sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and MuseDash sells 19 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Arcaea against 4.9 for MuseDash. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 25K and 8.4K respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 78% and 78% positive.

Arcaea ships an update every 8 days, MuseDash monthly. Both last shipped on October 26, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Arcaea | MuseDash |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | [4.8 (25K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcaea/id1205999125/reviews) | **[4.9 (8.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/musedash/id1361473095/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **25K** | 8.4K |
| Positive reviews | **78.3% of reviews** | 78.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 8 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #70 | **#7** |
| Size | 1.2 GB | 2.0 GB |
| Requires iOS | **12.4** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [lowiro](https://appshunter.io/developer/1381393762) | [peropero](https://appshunter.io/developer/1570029021) |

## What reviewers say

### Arcaea

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcaea/id1205999125)

**Currently charting:** #70 Top Grossing · Music, #90 Top Free · Music (US App Store)

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 100 Memories | $0.99 | one-time |
| 510 Memories | $4.99 | one-time |
| 1020 Memories | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Unique gameplay mechanics
- 🎨 Beautiful visuals and art
- 🎶 Excellent music selection
- 👍 Smooth and responsive controls
- 💯 Challenging yet rewarding difficulty

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Excessive paywall for content
- 🔁 Repetitive grind in World Mode
- 🐛 Occasional note registration issues
- 🔊 Audio desync when multitasking
- 🤖 Lack of practice mode or tutorial

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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


### MuseDash

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/musedash/id1361473095)

**Currently charting:** #7 Top Paid · Music, #38 Top Grossing · Music (US App Store)

Engage in a vibrant rhythm parkour game where you dance to music and battle enemies. Even without a strong sense of rhythm, you can enjoy the action by dodging obstacles. Collect lovely girls and enjoy the blend of music and combat.

**Highlights:** Rhythm-based combat, Parkour gameplay, Obstacle dodging, Character collection, Beginner-friendly, Multiple languages supported

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (19)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Welcome to the Blue Hole! | $2.99 | one-time |
| Muse Dash・Legend | $2.99 | one-time |
| Happy Otaku SP | $3.99 | one-time |
| Song of Determination&Power(20%off) | $3.99 | one-time |
| Muse Radio FM101 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Let's GROOVE | $3.99 | one-time |
| Touhou Mugakudan -Ⅰ- | $3.99 | one-time |
| Valentine Stage | $3.99 | one-time |
| Touhou Mugakudan -Ⅱ- | $3.99 | one-time |
| Rin·Len's Mirrorland | $4.99 | one-time |
| Miku in Museland | $5.99 | one-time |
| cyTus | $5.99 | one-time |
| Rin·Len's Mirrorland | $5.99 | one-time |
| Miku in Museland | $8.99 | one-time |
| Rin·Len's Mirrorland | $8.99 | one-time |
| unlockall_3 | $20.99 | one-time |
| unlockall_12 | $23.99 | one-time |
| unlockall_0 | $27.99 | one-time |
| unlockall_29 | $33.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Beautiful art style and animations
- 🎶 Captivating music and rhythmic gameplay
- 🕹️ Simple yet challenging gameplay
- 🔥 Addictive and fun experience
- 💰 Great value for the price

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive DLC and in-app purchases
- 🔞 Sexualized character designs
- 🐛 Crashes and performance issues
- 🔇 Audio glitches and sound quality problems

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to restore in-app purchases
- Freezing and crashes after completing songs
- Inconsistent controls and unresponsive inputs

**Requested features**

- Add a random mode for favorite songs
- Implement cloud save sync across devices
- Add more difficulty options and modifiers
- Introduce a story mode or campaign


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Arcaea free?

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

### Is MuseDash free?

MuseDash costs $2.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Arcaea or MuseDash?

MuseDash is rated higher. Arcaea averages 4.8 out of 5 from 25K ratings, while MuseDash averages 4.9 from 8.4K ratings.

### Do Arcaea or MuseDash have ads?

Neither Arcaea nor MuseDash shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Arcaea or MuseDash?

Arcaea ships an update every 8 days, and MuseDash monthly. Most recently, Arcaea was updated on October 26, 2026 and MuseDash on October 26, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Arcaea or MuseDash?

Arcaea currently peaks at #70 in the App Store charts, and MuseDash at #7. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*