Comparison

Arcaea vs Neon Drive

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

Neon Drive

Features
Read full description

Neon Drive is a fast, stylish arcade runner where every lane is a split-second decision. Slide through traffic, jump over danger, pull off airborne flips, and burn nitro to keep your streak alive. The road never slows down, how far can you push it? MASTER THE RUN • Swipe between lanes to thread the perfect line • Tap to jump and clear traffic • Double-tap mid-air for big flips • Hold nitro to surge ahead and take flight • Stay low beneath overpasses—or crash into the deck CHASE THE HIGH SCORE • Collect coins and unlock new rides • Build your combo with close calls, jumps, and clean runs • Drive through a glowing retro-future city with shifting neon themes • Watch your last moments back in the crash replay Easy to pick up. Impossible to put down.

Screenshots

Arcaea4 screens
Neon Drive3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Arcaea at none against Neon Drive's shown. Arcaea also leads on chart position (#44 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). Neon Drive's advantage is update cadence (daily vs every 8 days). On price, in-app purchases and device support 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 Neon Drive sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Arcaea ships an update every 8 days, Neon Drive daily. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Arcaea versus Neon Drive: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterArcaeaNeon Drive
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (25K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews78.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings25K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 8 daysDaily — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
Best chart rank#44 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size1.2 GB24 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperlowiroIlija Stevanovic

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

Neon Drive

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Arcaea

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

Neon Drive

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$2.99

Questions

Is Arcaea free?
Arcaea is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Neon Drive free?
Neon Drive is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Arcaea or Neon Drive have ads?
Neon Drive shows ads; Arcaea does not.
Which is updated more often, Arcaea or Neon Drive?
Arcaea ships an update every 8 days, and Neon Drive daily. Most recently, Arcaea was updated on October 31, 2026 and Neon Drive on September 30, 2026.

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