SwordArtOnline vs Aether Gazer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SwordArtOnline
Step into the world of Sword Art Online as the protagonist in this MMORPG. Team up with other players to conquer Aincrad, forge weapons, and experience an "what-if" story that diverges from the original anime.
- Become the protagonist
- Cooperative MMORPG gameplay
- Experience original SAO story from your POV
- Forge weapons and use skills
- Battle monsters and complete quests
- Behind-the-scenes stories
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The newest Sword Art Online game! This time, the protagonist is...you! You appear in this online RPG as a member of an Assault Team, working with other imprisoned players to reach the 100th floor of Aincrad! What if you were trapped in a game of life or death? You can experience meeting familiar characters and connecting to the original SAO story from your own POV. Experience behind-the-scenes stories not seen in the original SAO, and completely different story developments! Live out a "what-if" story where you affect Aincrad! Battle System Fight through the sprawling fields of Aincrad with your partner Koharu, trapped together in a game of life and death! You'll need to cooperate with Assault Teams across the land and battle together to beat powerful monsters and tough quests! Forging stronger weapons, using skills with all kinds of effects, and preparing for each enemy's weak points and attack patterns are all key to your success! -Boost Mode is a monthly subscription that gives you the following boosts: -Important ・Boost Mode is valid for a month starting from the purchased date and will be automatically renewed each month. ・If cancelled during the validity period, you will continue receiving effect of the boosts until you log out after the expiration date. ・You cannot make duplicate purchases during the validity period. ・Please be aware that deleting the app does not cancel this subscription. -Payment, Duration, Renewal ・Payment of this subscription will be made through Apple ID. ・If cancellation is not made 24 hours prior to the expiration date, the subscription will be renewed automatically. ・The one-month subscription will be renewed automatically within 24 hours before the expiry date and monthly charges will occur at every renewal. -Cancellation ・This subscription must be canceled at least 24 hours prior to the expiration date. ・Cancellation may be completed through the following procedure. 1. Tap Settings > [your name] > iTunes & App Store 2. Tap "Apple ID"" at the top of the screen. 3. Tap "View Apple ID"" then ""Subscriptions" 4. Tap "Boost Mode" purchased on "SWORD ART ONLINE: Integral Factor" to see the purchase history. 5. Cancel subscription by tapping ""Cancel Subscription"" Other Precautions ・There is a possibility that connection problems may occur when purchasing, so please do not close the application while purchase is still processing. ・Terms of Service http://legal.bandainamcoent.co.jp/terms/ ・Privacy Policy http://legal.bandainamcoent.co.jp/privacy/ Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. Website: https://bandainamcoent.co.jp/english/ By downloading or installing this app, you agree to the Bandai Namco Entertainment Terms of Service. Terms of Service: https://legal.bandainamcoent.co.jp/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://legal.bandainamcoent.co.jp/privacy/ Note: This game contains some items available for in-app purchase that can enhance gameplay and speed up your progress. In-app purchases can be disabled in your device settings, see https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201304 for more details. This application is distributed under the official rights from the license holder.
Aether Gazer
Engage in fast-paced combat within a sci-fi anime world where humanity's consciousness resides in an AI orbiting Earth. Battle viruses threatening this digital paradise by customizing characters, building combos, and strategically forming squads to save humanity's future.
- Fast-paced action combat
- Character skill customization
- Squad building and combos
- Explore a dystopian world
- Premium character design
- Immersive soundtrack
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In the future, constant war has eroded the livability of Earth, forcing humanity to escape by uploading their consciousnesses to Gaea, an AI orbiting the Earth. Human consciousness is divided into ten sephirah zones, each with its own unique culture and beliefs, that are all working together towards building the perfect civilization called Idealbild. However, underneath the surface and in the Source Layer, evil computer viruses called Visbanes lurk, bent on destroying humanity’s promised paradise. Use your knowledge of each character’s skillset during battle, use power-ups to build combos and customize your squad to unleash the power of Modifiers to save consciousness and reach the promised future of Idealbild. · Action-Packed Combat Requiring Fast-Paced Decision Making · Explore a Dystopia Filled with Lore and Loot · Customize Your Character's Skills and Seamlessly Change Your Fighting Style · Mix and Match Your Squad for Exciting Chained Combos and Stunning Performances · Premium Quality Character Design with Advanced NPR Rendering Technology · Immersive Soundtrack and Unique Voiceover for Every Character Aether Gazer Official Homepage: https://www.aethergazer.com/ Official Twitter Account: https://twitter.com/aethergazerEN Official Instagram Account: https://www.instagram.com/aethergazerofficial/ Official Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/AetherGazerOfficial/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: SwordArtOnline at none against Aether Gazer's shown. SwordArtOnline also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 4 months) and review sentiment (69% vs 57%). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. SwordArtOnline sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month and Aether Gazer sells 11 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 — 4.4 for SwordArtOnline against 4.3 for Aether Gazer. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SwordArtOnline has 12K ratings behind it against 1.3K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 69% of SwordArtOnline's written reviews are positive against 57% of Aether Gazer's.
SwordArtOnline ships an update fortnightly, Aether Gazer every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SwordArtOnline | Aether Gazer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (12K ratings) — better | 4.3 (1.3K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 68.8% of reviews — better | 56.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 12K — better | 1.3K |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 4 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 390 MB | 3.9 GB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. | HONG KONG YONGSHI NETWORK TECHNOLOGY CO., LIMITED |
Customer experience
SwordArtOnline
Aether Gazer
User reviews
SwordArtOnline
From 12K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Excellent graphics and visuals
- 👍 Engaging storyline and characters
- 🎮 Smooth and responsive gameplay
- 📱 Great mobile experience
- 🎨 Customizable character creation
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔁 Repetitive and grindy gameplay
- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
- 🕰️ Slow progression and level grinding
- 🔇 Audio issues and sound cutting out
Aether Gazer
From 1.3K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Smooth gameplay
- 👍 Generous free-to-play model
- 🎨 Beautiful character designs
- 🎮 Engaging combat mechanics
- 💎 Rewarding gacha system
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔌 Performance issues on some devices
- 🕹️ Lack of controller support
- 📚 Confusing tutorial and UI
- 🌐 Lack of Chinese language support
Bugs and requests
SwordArtOnline
Reported bugs
5 issues- Bosses disappearing during battles
- Characters getting stuck and becoming invisible
- Inability to change servers or send messages to friends
- Arcana gems not being properly credited
- Constant update loop with no available updates
Requested features
7 requests- Controller support
- Ability to change partner character's appearance
- In-game trading system
- Player-vs-player (PvP) mode
- More diverse weapon and skill options
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- Ability to replay story dialogues
- Improved social features like guilds and chat
Aether Gazer
Reported bugs
5 issues- Game crashes during boss fights
- Inability to progress past certain story missions
- Graphical glitches and visual bugs
- Login and connection issues
- Gacha and purchase-related bugs
Requested features
5 requests- Add Chinese language support
- Improve controller compatibility
- Enhance tutorial and onboarding
- Optimize performance for older devices
- Introduce more endgame content
In-app purchases
SwordArtOnline
- Boost Mode$8.991 Month
- Arcanagem A$0.99
- Arcanagem B$3.99
- 1H Sword Rookie's Pack$3.99
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- Arcanagem C$7.99
- Arcana Gem Pack$7.99
- Arcanagem D$12.99
- Arcanagem E$26.99
- Arcanagem F$39.99
- Arcanagem G$79.99
Aether Gazer
- 60 Shifting Flowers$0.99
- C-Obs$4.99
- 490 Shifting Flowers$7.99
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- Advanced Contract$9.99
- $14.99 Pack$14.99
- 990 Shifting Flowers$14.99
- Outfit Voucher2$14.99
- Acumen Contract$18.99
- 1990 Shifting Flowers$29.99
- 2990 Shifting Flowers$44.99
- 6000 Shifting Flowers$89.99
Questions
Is SwordArtOnline free?
Is Aether Gazer free?
Which has better reviews, SwordArtOnline or Aether Gazer?
Do SwordArtOnline or Aether Gazer have ads?
Which is updated more often, SwordArtOnline or Aether Gazer?
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