Comparison

The Machines vs JADU®

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

Head to head
About

The Machines

Engage in thrilling augmented reality battles with friends. Utilize powerful abilities and strategic positioning to destroy enemy bases and climb global leaderboards. Experience stunning visuals and immersive 3D spatial audio that reacts to your real-world location.

Highlights
  • Augmented reality battles
  • Competitive multiplayer
  • 3D spatial audio
  • Perspective-based tactics
  • Global leaderboards
  • Friend battles
Read full description

**As featured in the Apple Keynote** “The Machines may be Apple's most impressive augmented-reality showcase yet” - Eurogamer “If you've only got enough money to spend on one AR game, then I'd probably make it this one.” - Pocket Gamer “The Machines is a perfect example of the future of AR” - Macworld “A must have ARKit game—Highly recommended and definitely worth its asking price!” - AR Critic ======== In The Machines, battle your friends in a breathtaking augmented reality world. Experience 3D sound, graphics, and gameplay like never before. Use powerful abilities and perspective-based tactics to destroy your enemy's base and climb the global leaderboard. Victory or defeat depends on your skills, strategic thinking, and ability to maneuver yourself and your troops in battle. ======== VISUALLY STUNNING The Machines uses advanced technology to push the boundaries of visual fidelity. The battlefield has over 1.2 million polygons and uses 4k assets and physics-based rendering to bring you a beautifully immersive game. 3D SPATIAL AUDIO Your position in the real world affects the audio you hear. Move closer for louder action or disappear behind a rock and audio bounces off, just like in real life. PERSPECTIVE-BASED GAMING Your physical position is the competitive edge in this augmented reality battlefield. Use super weapons and abilities tactically by aiming your phone and adjusting your position. COMPETETIVE MULTIPLAYER Claim your place at the top of the global leaderboards by defeating foes around the world. Outwit your opponents with balanced, strategic gameplay. A single player training mode is also available to gain experience. FRIEND BATTLES Add friends via a unique invite link and challenge them directly to battle! Play against each other on the same table or anywhere in the world. See who is the champion on your friends leaderboard. ======== **If you enjoying playing the game, please consider leaving a review on the App Store. We really appreciate it!** Follow us on Twitter: @DirectiveGames Follow us on Facebook: @DirectiveGames Want to discuss a new feature? Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/w4GdRVc

About

JADU®

Engage in intense battles with customizable 3D fighters in this augmented reality mobile game. Experience immersive gameplay with stunning graphics, responsive haptics, and a unique soundtrack. Build and personalize your fighter with meticulously crafted premium items.

Highlights
  • Augmented reality battles
  • Customizable 3D fighters
  • Premium 3D item customization
  • Intuitive controls
  • High-quality visuals
  • Tuned haptics
Read full description

JADU® is mobile gaming reimagined. Experience stunning graphics, carefully tuned haptics and intuitive controls all soundtracked by music that feels both retro & futuristic. Build your fighter with premium 3D items carefully crafted by our team. Even the shoelaces are individually textured. Hope you love it as much as we love making it. Join our Community: jadu.gg/discord NOTICES • JADU® features high quality visuals & augmented reality. Performance may not be optimal on older devices. • JADU® is currently an online only game. Support: support@jadu.ar Privacy Policy: jadu.ar/privacy Terms of Use: jadu.ar/tos

Screenshots

The Machines4 screens
JADU®4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: JADU® at Free against The Machines's $1.99. JADU® also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.6) and review sentiment (78% vs 51%). The Machines's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 11) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.0). On update cadence, ads 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

JADU® is free to download; The Machines costs $1.99 up front. JADU® sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. The Machines asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

JADU® holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: JADU® has 9.9K ratings behind it against 268, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 51% of The Machines's written reviews are positive against 78% of JADU®'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

The Machines ships an update fortnightly, JADU® weekly. Both last shipped on October 16, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
The Machines versus JADU®: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe MachinesJADU®
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating3.6 (268 ratings)4.8 (9.9K ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.7% of reviews78.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2689.9K — better
Update frequencyFortnightlyWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size911 MB369 MB
Age rating12+9+
DeveloperDirective GamesJadu AR, Inc.

Customer experience

The Machines

All ratings268 ratings
Positive60.4%
Neutral10.4%
Negative29.1%
Written reviews406 reviews
Positive50.7%
Neutral12.8%
Negative36.5%

JADU®

All ratings9,870 ratings
Positive96.2%
Neutral2.1%
Negative1.7%
Written reviews115 reviews
Positive78.3%
Neutral5.2%
Negative16.5%

User reviews

The Machines

From 268 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Impressive AR experience
  • 👍 Great graphics and visuals
  • 🤖 Innovative gameplay concept
  • 🎮 Engaging multiplayer battles

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • 🔍 Difficulty detecting playing surface
  • 🕹️ Confusing controls and tutorials
  • 🔋 High battery consumption
  • 🗺️ Limited map and gameplay variety

JADU®

From 9.9K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fantastic graphics
  • 🔥 Immersive AR experience
  • 👍 Responsive controls
  • 🎮 Fun fighting gameplay
  • 💯 Innovative concept

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • 🔋 High battery consumption
  • 🤔 Confusing controls and mechanics
  • 🌍 Limited play area
  • 🕹️ Compatibility issues with older devices

Bugs and requests

The Machines

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Game crashes after short playtime
  • Inability to detect flat surfaces
  • Unresponsive controls and commands
  • Compatibility issues with newer devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to play against friends
  • More maps and gameplay modes
  • Better onboarding and tutorials
  • Customization options for characters
  • Offline/single-player mode

JADU®

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Enemies getting stuck inside walls
  • Loading screen freezes
  • Inability to edit avatar
  • Disconnection issues
  • Inconsistent enemy behavior

Requested features

5 requests
  • Offline mode
  • Single-player campaign
  • More customization options
  • Ability to adjust character size
  • Performance optimizations

In-app purchases

None

The Machines

No in-app purchases

11 purchases

JADU®

One-time11
  • Winter Wonderland Bundle$4.99
  • Hyper Bowl Red Bundle$4.99
  • Hyper Bowl Gold Bundle$4.99
Show 8 more
  • 180 Jadu$4.99
  • Core Pack$4.99
  • Starter Pack I$4.99
  • 400 Jadu$9.99
  • 1000 Jadu$19.99
  • Luxe Pack$19.99
  • Starter Pack II$19.99
  • 3000 Jadu$49.99

Questions

Is The Machines free?
The Machines costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is JADU® free?
JADU® is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, The Machines or JADU®?
JADU® is rated higher. The Machines averages 3.6 out of 5 from 268 ratings, while JADU® averages 4.8 from 9.9K ratings.
Do The Machines or JADU® have ads?
Neither The Machines nor JADU® shows ads.
Which is updated more often, The Machines or JADU®?
The Machines ships an update fortnightly, and JADU® weekly. Most recently, The Machines was updated on October 16, 2026 and JADU® on October 16, 2026.

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