# Retro Commander vs Mergewarden

The clearest difference is ads: Retro Commander at none against Mergewarden's shown. Retro Commander also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Mergewarden's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 months). On price and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Retro Commander sells 14 one-off in-app purchases and Mergewarden sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Retro Commander ships an update every 2 months, Mergewarden every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Retro Commander | Mergewarden |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.7 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retro-commander/id1274342935/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **16** | — |
| Positive reviews | 80.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 151 MB | 44 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Noble Master LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/310121642) | [Maurice Wolfgang Mohr](https://appshunter.io/developer/6797983924) |

## What reviewers say

### Retro Commander

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retro-commander/id1274342935)

Engage in post-apocalyptic real-time strategy battles. Command diverse units and technologies in a rich story campaign or test your skills against AI and players in cross-platform multiplayer. Features include a map editor and extensive modding capabilities.

**Highlights:** Post-apocalyptic RTS gameplay, Story campaign with unique factions, Single-player skirmish matches vs AI, Cross-platform multiplayer, Map editor and modding support, Diverse units and research options, Multiple game modes (capture the flag, battle royale)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (14)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Map: Chapter 02 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Map: Battle Map 02 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Map: Battle Map 05 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Clan Manager | $1.99 | one-time |
| Map: Chapter 03 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Map: Chapter 08 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Map: Battle Map A1 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Map: Chapter 04 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Map: Chapter 06 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Map: Chapter 07 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Map: Battle Map 03 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Map: Battle Map 04 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Modded Maps | $4.99 | one-time |
| All Maps & Modding | $19.99 | one-time |


### Mergewarden

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mergewarden-tiny-guardians/id6797983922)

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 120 Star Chips | $0.99 | one-time |
| Prism Starter Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| 400 Star Chips | $2.99 | one-time |
| 900 Star Chips | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Retro Commander free?

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

### Is Mergewarden free?

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

### Do Retro Commander or Mergewarden have ads?

Mergewarden shows ads; Retro Commander does not.

### Which is updated more often, Retro Commander or Mergewarden?

Retro Commander ships an update every 2 months, and Mergewarden every 3 days. Most recently, Retro Commander was updated on October 26, 2026 and Mergewarden on October 24, 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.*