# Pac.io vs AR

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: AR at none against Pac.io's 10. AR also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.0). Pac.io's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 8 months). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pac.io sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. AR asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.2 for Pac.io against 4.2 for AR. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 297 and 197 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 54% of Pac.io's written reviews are positive against 48% of AR's.

Pac.io ships an update fortnightly, AR every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pac.io | AR |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (297 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pacio/id1274026778/reviews) | [4.2 (197 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ar-man/id1289570639/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **297** | 197 |
| Positive reviews | **53.9% of reviews** | 48.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 8 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 139 MB | 31 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nomadic Bear Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/1188304416) | [Kobi Snir](https://appshunter.io/developer/393343394) |

## What reviewers say

### Pac.io

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pacio/id1274026778)

Engage in an addictive grid-battle by swiping to outsmart opponents and dominate the arena. Utilize a variety of power-ups and unlock unique skins to enhance your gameplay and rise through the ranks. Enjoy endless fun offline or online with intuitive controls.

**Highlights:** Swipe controls for movement, Strategic power-ups, Unlockable skins, Offline and online play, Intuitive gameplay

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Coin Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Medium Coin Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Magnet | $4.99 | one-time |
| Thunder | $4.99 | one-time |
| Sword | $4.99 | one-time |
| Big Coin Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| No Ads | $9.99 | one-time |
| Large Coin Pack | $19.99 | one-time |
| Huge Coin Pack | $49.99 | one-time |
| Massive Coin Pack | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 😍 Highly addictive and engaging gameplay
- 🎮 Fun Pac-Man inspired mechanics
- 👥 Real multiplayer players (not just bots)
- ⚡ Fast-paced and entertaining
- 🏆 Leaderboard and competitive features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📺 Excessive ads throughout gameplay
- ⚠️ Ads interrupt and crash the game
- 😤 Unfair difficulty and instant death
- 🎮 Sliding controls instead of D-pad/joystick
- 🤖 Questionable AI behavior and cheating

**Reported bugs**

- Ads crash game at end of video
- Game freezes after ad completion
- Pink screen ad that cannot be closed
- Instant death upon spawning
- Players getting stuck behind walls

**Requested features**

- Arrow buttons or D-pad controls instead of sliding
- Ad-free premium version for purchase
- Ability to disable ads with WiFi off
- Friend list and private room creation
- Real player names instead of randomized ones


### AR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ar-man/id1289570639)

Navigate a challenging augmented reality maze, collecting dots while evading monsters. This game requires you to move in an open physical space to interact with the virtual environment.

**Highlights:** Augmented reality maze gameplay, Collect dots, Avoid maze monsters, Requires physical movement, Tap to start

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pac.io free?

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

### Is AR free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pac.io or AR?

Pac.io and AR are both rated 4.2 out of 5 on the App Store, from 297 and 197 ratings respectively.

### Do Pac.io or AR have ads?

Both Pac.io and AR show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pac.io or AR?

Pac.io ships an update fortnightly, and AR every 8 months. Most recently, Pac.io was updated on September 21, 2026 and AR on September 23, 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.*