# BATTLESHIP vs Dots & Boxes

The clearest difference is price: Dots & Boxes at Free against BATTLESHIP's $2.99. BATTLESHIP's advantage is rating (4.2 vs 1.9) and ads (none vs shown). On in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Dots & Boxes is free to download; BATTLESHIP costs $2.99 up front. BATTLESHIP sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Dots & Boxes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

BATTLESHIP holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 1.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BATTLESHIP has 2.6K ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two.

BATTLESHIP ships an update every 3 weeks, Dots & Boxes every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BATTLESHIP | Dots & Boxes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.2 (2.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/battleship/id1336026283/reviews)** | [1.9 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dots-and-boxes-classic/id1503888992/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.6K** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | 34.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#20** | — |
| Size | 370 MB | 64 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Marmalade Game Studio Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/988365603) | [Abhishek Aryan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1365121366) |

## What reviewers say

### BATTLESHIP

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/battleship/id1336026283)

**Currently charting:** #20 Top Paid · Board, #70 Top Paid · Strategy (US App Store)

Experience the classic naval combat board game on your mobile device. Engage in head-to-head battles in traditional mode or try the new tactical Commanders Mode with unique abilities and strategic gameplay. Challenge AI or players worldwide to become the ultimate fleet commander.

**Highlights:** Classic board game conversion, Head-to-head naval combat, Tactical Commanders Mode, Unique commander abilities, Single-player AI battles, Global multiplayer challenges, Mission and ranking system

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Strait of Gibraltar | $2.99 | one-time |
| Baltic Sea | $2.99 | one-time |
| Colossus Bay | $2.99 | one-time |
| White Cliffs of Dover | $2.99 | one-time |
| Astrid Stormur | $3.99 | one-time |
| Frédéric Potier | $3.99 | one-time |
| Euryleia | $3.99 | one-time |
| Sir Phillip Wade | $3.99 | one-time |
| Queens of the Seas Pack | $7.99 | one-time |
| Super Collection | $12.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast-paced gameplay
- ⚔️ Engaging commander mode
- 🎨 Great graphics and visuals
- 🕹️ Classic Battleship experience
- 🤝 Multiplayer with friends

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent disconnects and crashes in multiplayer
- 💰 Excessive in-app purchases for content
- 🤖 AI opponents that appear to cheat
- 🔒 Inability to change player name
- 🚫 Lack of female character options

**Reported bugs**

- Multiplayer games randomly taken over by AI
- Challenges not tracking progress correctly
- Inability to reconnect to interrupted online games
- Crashes and freezes on certain device models

**Requested features**

- Pass and play mode for local multiplayer
- Option to disable animations and speed up gameplay
- Ability to view opponent's board after a match
- More diverse character selection, including female options
- Improved AI difficulty settings and behavior


### Dots & Boxes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dots-and-boxes-classic/id1503888992)

This is a classic two-player strategy game where players take turns drawing lines to complete squares. The player with the most completed squares at the end wins. It offers single-player against AI or local multiplayer against a friend.

**Highlights:** Draw lines between adjacent dots, Complete squares to earn points, Single-player vs AI, Local multiplayer mode, Classic strategy gameplay

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $0.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BATTLESHIP free?

BATTLESHIP costs $2.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Dots & Boxes free?

Dots & Boxes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, BATTLESHIP or Dots & Boxes?

BATTLESHIP is rated higher. BATTLESHIP averages 4.2 out of 5 from 2.6K ratings, while Dots & Boxes averages 1.9 from 8 ratings.

### Do BATTLESHIP or Dots & Boxes have ads?

Dots & Boxes shows ads; BATTLESHIP does not.

### Which is updated more often, BATTLESHIP or Dots & Boxes?

BATTLESHIP ships an update every 3 weeks, and Dots & Boxes every 6 months. Most recently, BATTLESHIP was updated on October 26, 2026 and Dots & Boxes 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.*