# Arcaea vs Phira

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Phira at none against Arcaea's 3. Arcaea's advantage is update cadence (every 8 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (25K vs 847). On price, review sentiment, ads and chart position there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Arcaea sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Phira asks for nothing beyond the download.

Arcaea holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Arcaea has 25K ratings behind it against 847, 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 70% of Phira's.

Arcaea ships an update every 8 days, Phira every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Arcaea | Phira |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (25K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcaea/id1205999125/reviews)** | [4.6 (847 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phira/id6447435864/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **25K** | 847 |
| Positive reviews | **78.4% of reviews** | 70.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 8 days** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | #77 | **#45** |
| Size | 1.2 GB | 61 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.4 | **12.0.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [lowiro](https://appshunter.io/developer/1381393762) | [知远 李](https://appshunter.io/developer/1665014124) |

## What reviewers say

### Arcaea

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

**Currently charting:** #77 Top Grossing · Music, #81 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


### Phira

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phira/id6447435864)

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

A community-driven rhythm game inspired by Phigros, built using Rust. It offers a unique gameplay experience with more content, including competitive events and a story mode, planned for future updates.

**Highlights:** Community-driven gameplay, Inspired by Phigros, Developed with Rust, Competitive events (coming soon), Official charts (coming soon), Story mode (coming soon)

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Excellent music selection
- 💡 Ability to create and import custom charts
- 🚀 Clean and intuitive user interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 🔌 Connectivity problems and failed downloads
- 🤔 Registration and account creation problems

**Reported bugs**

- TOS and privacy policy not loading properly
- Issues with clearing cache and updating user info
- Inability to download songs or access certain features

**Requested features**

- Update the app to the latest version
- Add support for more languages
- Improve performance optimization


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Arcaea free?

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

### Is Phira free?

Phira is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

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

Arcaea is rated higher. Arcaea averages 4.8 out of 5 from 25K ratings, while Phira averages 4.6 from 847 ratings.

### Do Arcaea or Phira have ads?

Neither Arcaea nor Phira shows ads.

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

Arcaea ships an update every 8 days, and Phira every 2 months. Most recently, Arcaea was updated on September 25, 2026 and Phira on September 22, 2026.

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

Arcaea currently peaks at #77 in the App Store charts, and Phira at #45. 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.*