Comparison

Arcaea vs Sonolus

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

Head to head
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

About

Sonolus

Dive into a vibrant rhythm game community. Play solo, with friends, or compete against others. Create and share your own custom levels and replays.

Highlights
  • Rhythm game exploration
  • Multiplayer gameplay
  • Level creation
  • Replay sharing
  • Community connection
Features
Read full description

Explore the world of rhythm games, connect with other rhythm game lovers, create and share your own levels and replays, and more! Whether you are playing solo, together with other people, or competing against other people, there is a vibrant world of rhythm games waiting to be discovered!

Screenshots

Arcaea4 screens
Sonolus4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Arcaea at 4.8 against Sonolus's 3.8. Arcaea also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 8 days vs every 2 months). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and chart position 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 and Sonolus sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Arcaea holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Arcaea has 25K ratings behind it against 1K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 78% of Arcaea's written reviews are positive against 51% of Sonolus's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Arcaea ships an update every 8 days, Sonolus every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 19, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Arcaea versus Sonolus: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterArcaeaSonolus
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (25K ratings) — better3.8 (1K ratings)
Positive reviews78.3% of reviews — better51.0% of reviews
Number of ratings25K — better1K
Update frequencyEvery 8 days — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#62#37 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.4 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size1.2 GB151 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperlowiroMACAU FOSFENES TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.

Customer experience

Arcaea

All ratings24,557 ratings
Positive96.6%
Neutral1.4%
Negative1.9%
Written reviews1,248 reviews
Positive78.3%
Neutral6.8%
Negative14.9%

Sonolus

All ratings1,006 ratings
Positive68.7%
Neutral7.8%
Negative23.6%
Written reviews533 reviews
Positive51.0%
Neutral15.2%
Negative33.8%

User reviews

Arcaea

From 25K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Sonolus

From 1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Amazing app
  • 👍 Great rhythm game
  • 👍 Lots of custom content
  • 👍 Fantastic experience
  • 👍 Awesome game

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Banned from server
  • 🐛 Failed connections
  • 🐛 Odd controls
  • 🔒 Homophobic creators
  • 🐛 Server issues

Bugs and 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

Sonolus

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Chart preview keeps playing on loop
  • Ads

Requested features

2 requests
  • More Project Sekai charts
  • Kpop server

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Arcaea

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

Sonolus

One-time4
  • Gem x500$4.99
  • Gem x1000$9.99
  • Gem x2200$19.99
Show 1 more
  • Gem x6000$49.99

Questions

Is Arcaea free?
Arcaea is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Sonolus free?
Sonolus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Arcaea or Sonolus?
Arcaea is rated higher. Arcaea averages 4.8 out of 5 from 25K ratings, while Sonolus averages 3.8 from 1K ratings.
Do Arcaea or Sonolus have ads?
Sonolus shows ads; Arcaea does not.
Which is updated more often, Arcaea or Sonolus?
Arcaea ships an update every 8 days, and Sonolus every 2 months. Most recently, Arcaea was updated on October 19, 2026 and Sonolus on October 19, 2026.
Which is more popular, Arcaea or Sonolus?
Arcaea currently peaks at #62 in the App Store charts, and Sonolus at #37. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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