# Dragon Shadow vs Griddie Islands

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Dragon Shadow at none against Griddie Islands's 8. Dragon Shadow also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 68%) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Griddie Islands's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 24 months) and ratings volume (1.1K vs 1). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Griddie Islands sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Dragon Shadow asks for nothing beyond the download.

Dragon Shadow holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Griddie Islands has 1.1K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Dragon Shadow's written reviews are positive against 68% of Griddie Islands's.

Dragon Shadow ships an update every 24 months, Griddie Islands monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dragon Shadow | Griddie Islands |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dragon-shadow/id1304376114/reviews)** | [4.7 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/griddie-islands/id1436856200/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **1.1K** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 68.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 24 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 23 MB | 179 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [andrew bell](https://appshunter.io/developer/445167639) | [Pomelo Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/899606172) |

## What reviewers say

### Dragon Shadow

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dragon-shadow/id1304376114)

Pilot a craft through enemy territory, destroying targets while avoiding obstacles and enemy fire. Utilize swipe controls for movement, tapping to shoot, and a tap-and-hold for turbo speed. Rescue prisoners and collect ammo to aid your mission.

**Highlights:** Fly through enemy bases, Destroy targets, Avoid walls and enemy fire, Pick up ammo, Rescue prisoners, Swipe controls for movement, Tap to fire, Turbo speed

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Griddie Islands

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/griddie-islands/id1436856200)

Place quirky beings on tiny islands to attract fleas that produce money. Merge beings to discover higher levels and increase production in this lively idle merger game. Explore over 50 unique levels.

**Highlights:** Place beings on islands, Fleas produce money, Merge beings to level up, Discover 50+ levels, Idle production mechanics

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cubes 10 pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Cubes 60 pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Cubes 200 pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Cubes 600 pack | $19.99 | one-time |
| Cubes 2100 pack | $49.99 | one-time |
| Cubes 5800 pack | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💫 Charming and clever design
- 🎨 Unique and fun Griddie designs
- 👍 Simple and easy to pick up
- 🕰️ Relaxing and addictive gameplay
- 💰 No excessive monetization

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐢 Slow progression after early levels
- 🔁 Repetitive Griddie designs after level 50
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🔍 Difficulty merging Griddies
- 📺 Inconsistent ad rewards

**Reported bugs**

- Screen going black when placing Griddies
- Inventory getting stuck with no way to clear
- Inconsistent in-app purchase functionality

**Requested features**

- More islands and Griddie designs
- Prestige system or other progression mechanics
- Option to sell or discard unwanted Griddies
- Ability to rotate Griddies
- In-game notes or planning tools


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Dragon Shadow free?

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

### Is Griddie Islands free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Dragon Shadow or Griddie Islands?

Dragon Shadow is rated higher. Dragon Shadow averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Griddie Islands averages 4.7 from 1.1K ratings.

### Do Dragon Shadow or Griddie Islands have ads?

Both Dragon Shadow and Griddie Islands show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Dragon Shadow or Griddie Islands?

Dragon Shadow ships an update every 24 months, and Griddie Islands monthly. Most recently, Dragon Shadow was updated on November 4, 2026 and Griddie Islands on November 6, 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.*