# Life is Strange vs Five Dates

The clearest difference is rating: Five Dates at 4.3 against Life is Strange's 3.5. Five Dates also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 33 months) and review sentiment (55% vs 30%). Life is Strange's advantage is ratings volume (1.2K vs 231). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Life is Strange sells 7 one-off in-app purchases and Five Dates sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Five Dates holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Life is Strange has 1.2K ratings behind it against 231, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 30% of Life is Strange's written reviews are positive against 55% of Five Dates's.

Life is Strange ships an update every 33 months, Five Dates fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Life is Strange | Five Dates |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.5 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/life-is-strange-before-storm/id1293250289/reviews) | **[4.3 (231 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/five-dates/id1549664599/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.2K** | 231 |
| Positive reviews | 30.4% of reviews | **55.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 33 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 1.3 GB | 2.0 GB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [SQUARE ENIX Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/300186801) | [Wales Interactive Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/478870653) |

## What reviewers say

### Life is Strange

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/life-is-strange-before-storm/id1293250289)

Experience a choice-driven narrative adventure as a rebellious teen forming an unlikely friendship. Your decisions shape the story, leading to multiple endings. Engage in unique conversation modes, customize your character's appearance, and leave your mark on the world with tags and drawings.

**Highlights:** Choice and consequence driven narrative, Multiple endings, Risk/reward conversation mode, Witty tags and drawings, Outfit customization, Licensed indie soundtrack

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bonus Episode | $1.99 | one-time |
| Episode 1 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Episode 2 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Episode 3 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Season Pass  Episode 3-4 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Season Pass  2-4 | $6.99 | one-time |
| Season Pass  Episode 1-3 | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great story and characters
- 🎨 Beautiful art style
- 🎶 Excellent soundtrack
- 👍 Engaging gameplay

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent glitches and bugs
- 🕹️ Frustrating controls and navigation
- 🚧 Unpolished mobile port
- 💰 Expensive for a mobile game

**Reported bugs**

- Characters disappearing or glitching during scenes
- Crashes and freezes, especially in later episodes
- Inability to progress due to game-breaking bugs
- Graphical issues like distorted textures and animations

**Requested features**

- Add controller support
- Improve camera and movement controls
- Optimize performance and stability
- Provide more free content


### Five Dates

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/five-dates/id1549664599)

Experience a modern dating simulation where your choices shape a millennial's video dating journey during lockdown. Navigate conversations, awkward scenarios, and unexpected truths with five distinct personalities to discover attraction and compatibility.

**Highlights:** Interactive video dating simulation, Branching narrative choices, Multiple potential matches, Explore modern dating challenges, Engaging conversation topics

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Five Dates - Unlock Full Game | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Realistic dating simulation
- 👍 Good acting and direction
- 👍 Interesting and evolving story
- 👍 High replayability
- 👍 Funny and cool gameplay

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Game requires purchase after demo
- 🐛 Repetitive gameplay loop
- 🐛 Short story length
- 🐛 Choices don't significantly alter story
- 🐛 Long download times

**Reported bugs**

- Keeps asking to buy the game after purchase
- Stuck on a white screen after paying
- No sound in the game
- Game crashes mid-way through dates
- Game takes a very long time to download

**Requested features**

- More inclusivity (LGBTQ+ options)
- Female protagonist version
- More date options
- Continuation of the story/new seasons
- New characters


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Life is Strange free?

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

### Is Five Dates free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Life is Strange or Five Dates?

Five Dates is rated higher. Life is Strange averages 3.5 out of 5 from 1.2K ratings, while Five Dates averages 4.3 from 231 ratings.

### Do Life is Strange or Five Dates have ads?

Neither Life is Strange nor Five Dates shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Life is Strange or Five Dates?

Life is Strange ships an update every 33 months, and Five Dates fortnightly. Most recently, Life is Strange was updated on October 30, 2026 and Five Dates 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.*