# Idle Sword 2 vs Incremental ELM Quest

The clearest difference is monetization model: Incremental ELM Quest at free against Idle Sword 2's free with in-app purchases. Incremental ELM Quest also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs every 3 weeks). Idle Sword 2's advantage is ratings volume (234 vs 22) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Idle Sword 2 sells 12 one-off in-app purchases and Incremental ELM Quest sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for Idle Sword 2 against 4.4 for Incremental ELM Quest. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Idle Sword 2 has 234 ratings behind it against 22, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 52% of Idle Sword 2's written reviews are positive against 48% of Incremental ELM Quest's.

Idle Sword 2 ships an update every 3 weeks, Incremental ELM Quest every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Idle Sword 2 | Incremental ELM Quest |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (234 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-sword-2/id1281721367/reviews) | **[4.4 (22 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/incremental-elm-quest/id6760921175/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **234** | 22 |
| Positive reviews | **51.9% of reviews** | 47.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 60 MB | 55 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Iron Horse Games LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1281721366) | [Eric Marin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1886824253) |

## What reviewers say

### Idle Sword 2

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-sword-2/id1281721367)

Embark on an epic clicker adventure through perilous dungeons. Tap to guide your heroes, battle monsters and bosses, and collect powerful upgrades. Discover new heroes and equip them to survive the challenges of this retro RPG.

**Highlights:** Explore Dungeons, Battle Monsters, Epic Boss Battles, Collect Upgrades, Find New Heroes, Tap to Guide Heroes

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

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Auto Power-Up | $1.99 | one-time |
| Super Swiping Power! | $2.99 | one-time |
| Small Gem Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $4.99 | one-time |
| Speed Boost | $4.99 | one-time |
| Lush Jungle | $4.99 | one-time |
| XP Doubler | $4.99 | one-time |
| Coin Doubler | $4.99 | one-time |
| Medium Gem Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Start Pack for New Players | $11.99 | one-time |
| God Powers bundle | $14.99 | one-time |
| Large Gems Pack | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Addictive gameplay
- 👍 Enjoyable RPG mechanics
- 💎 Generous monetization model

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 📱 UI issues on newer devices
- 🕰️ Lack of updates and support

**Reported bugs**

- Game freezes after watching ads
- Inventory UI cuts off on iPhone X
- Saved progress not transferring between devices

**Requested features**

- Restore purchase option
- Leaderboards and social features
- More content and dungeons


### Incremental ELM Quest

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/incremental-elm-quest/id6760921175)

Embark on a challenging incremental RPG adventure where every battle and defeat fuels your progress. Upgrade your hero, build your town, and strategize to overcome hundreds of unique foes and powerful bosses. This game offers a rewarding experience for both short sessions and extended play.

**Highlights:** Incremental RPG gameplay, Hero upgrades and evolutions, Town building for progression, Boss battles with unique tactics, Permanent bonuses from defeats, Hundreds of unique enemies

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Buy Dev a Coffee (+30 Renown) | $0.99 | one-time |
| Buy Dev Lunch (+200 Renown) | $4.99 | one-time |
| Fully Support Dev (+450 Renown) | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Idle Sword 2 free?

Idle Sword 2 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Incremental ELM Quest free?

Incremental ELM Quest is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Idle Sword 2 or Incremental ELM Quest?

Incremental ELM Quest is rated higher. Idle Sword 2 averages 4.3 out of 5 from 234 ratings, while Incremental ELM Quest averages 4.4 from 22 ratings.

### Do Idle Sword 2 or Incremental ELM Quest have ads?

Neither Idle Sword 2 nor Incremental ELM Quest shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Idle Sword 2 or Incremental ELM Quest?

Idle Sword 2 ships an update every 3 weeks, and Incremental ELM Quest every 6 days. Most recently, Idle Sword 2 was updated on October 24, 2026 and Incremental ELM Quest on October 21, 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.*