# Headland vs Machinal Instinct

The clearest difference is rating: Machinal Instinct at 4.6 against Headland's 3.9. Machinal Instinct also leads on ratings volume (706 vs 150). Headland's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Headland sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Machinal Instinct sells 9 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Machinal Instinct holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 150 and 706 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 59% of Headland's written reviews are positive against 51% of Machinal Instinct's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Headland ships an update every 4 days, Machinal Instinct every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on August 31, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Headland | Machinal Instinct |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.9 (150 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/headland/id1339714199/reviews) | **[4.6 (706 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/machinal-instinct/id1438524773/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 150 | **706** |
| Positive reviews | **59.0% of reviews** | 51.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 274 MB | 337 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Northplay](https://appshunter.io/developer/1151455383) | [Pomelo Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/899606172) |

## What reviewers say

### Headland

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/headland/id1339714199)

Embark on a fast-paced action adventure to recover shattered imagination fragments. Engage in unique swipe-and-tap combat, unlock and upgrade weapons, and explore a vibrant imaginary world with memorable characters. This game offers a complete story-driven experience without microtransactions.

**Highlights:** Swipe-and-tap combat system, Weapon unlocking and upgrading, Story-driven exploration, Vivid characters, No microtransactions or ads

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full game | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Beautiful graphics and art style
- 🎮 Fun and engaging gameplay mechanics
- 💰 Fair pricing model ($5.99 for 5+ hours)
- 🎵 Great sound design and music
- 📱 Works well on mobile devices

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🎮 Clunky and imprecise controls
- 📱 Portrait mode only (no landscape)
- 🎥 Camera zoom behavior is excessive
- ❌ One-handed play difficult on larger devices
- ⚠️ Finicky attack mechanics

**Reported bugs**

- Game freezing during gameplay
- Crashes on certain devices
- Lag and performance stuttering
- Collision detection issues with objects
- Boss level endless enemy wave bug

**Requested features**

- Landscape mode support
- Control sensitivity adjustment option
- D-pad or action button alternative controls
- Full screen support for newer phones
- Male/female character selection


### Machinal Instinct

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/machinal-instinct/id1438524773)

Engage in fast-paced mech battles in a global tournament where animal pilots command powerful machines. Customize your fighting style with various weapons and upgrade your mech with unlockable parts to climb the global leaderboard.

**Highlights:** Select from 6 mech pilots, Customize melee and ranged weapons, Win supply boxes for rewards, Unlock and combine upgradable mech parts, Battle in 3 different arenas, Climb the global leaderboard

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Gems x80 pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $3.99 | one-time |
| Gems x500 pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $7.99 | one-time |
| Gems x1,200 pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Gems x2,500 pack | $19.99 | one-time |
| Gems x6,500 pack | $49.99 | one-time |
| Gems x14,000 pack | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth animations
- 👍 Fun and engaging gameplay
- 🕹️ Accessible controls
- 💎 Great fighting game fundamentals

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inconsistent attack targeting
- 🔧 Buggy mechanics and controls
- 🕰️ Short match duration
- 🤖 Mostly playing against bots
- 📺 Excessive ads and monetization

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on startup
- Freezing at loading screens
- Matchmaking issues
- Inconsistent performance

**Requested features**

- Longer match duration
- Real-time multiplayer mode
- More character and weapon variety
- Customizable controls
- Additional game modes (e.g. endless, team battles)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Headland free?

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

### Is Machinal Instinct free?

Machinal Instinct is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Headland or Machinal Instinct?

Machinal Instinct is rated higher. Headland averages 3.9 out of 5 from 150 ratings, while Machinal Instinct averages 4.6 from 706 ratings.

### Do Headland or Machinal Instinct have ads?

Machinal Instinct shows ads; Headland does not.

### Which is updated more often, Headland or Machinal Instinct?

Headland ships an update every 4 days, and Machinal Instinct every 3 weeks. Most recently, Headland was updated on August 31, 2026 and Machinal Instinct on September 15, 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.*