# Axe Climber vs Monopong

Axe Climber and Monopong both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 91% of Monopong's written reviews are positive against 43% of Axe Climber's. Monopong also leads on ads (none vs shown). Axe Climber's advantage is ratings volume (57K vs 32) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Axe Climber sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $7.99 per 7 days and Monopong sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Axe Climber against 4.8 for Monopong. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Axe Climber has 57K ratings behind it against 32, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 43% of Axe Climber's written reviews are positive against 91% of Monopong's.

Axe Climber ships an update monthly, Monopong every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and July 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Axe Climber | Monopong |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (57K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/axe-climber/id1355767781/reviews) | [4.8 (32 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monopong/id1660590652/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **57K** | 32 |
| Positive reviews | 43.2% of reviews | **91.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 146 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [MADFATCAT](https://appshunter.io/developer/549093534) | [Joel Collins](https://appshunter.io/developer/1660590654) |

## What reviewers say

### Axe Climber

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/axe-climber/id1355767781)

Embark on a challenging climbing adventure across treacherous mountains filled with hazards. Test your skills in this addictive game where only a select few can reach the final level. Master the controls to overcome obstacles and ascend to new heights.

**Highlights:** Challenging mountain climbs, Spikes, volcanoes, and eagles, Easy to learn, hard to master, Addictive gameplay, No ads (with subscription), VIP skins (with subscription), Super shield (with subscription)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| VIP Membership | $7.99 | per 7 days |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Fun and addictive gameplay
- 👍 Simple and intuitive controls
- 💎 Good variety of characters to unlock

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 Excessive number of ads
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
- 🔁 Repetitive gameplay after unlocking all characters

**Reported bugs**

- Icicles falling after leaving the danger zone
- Freeze/crash issues when watching ads
- Gem collection not working as intended

**Requested features**

- More challenging levels and obstacles
- Ability to customize characters and axes
- Offline mode with no ads


### Monopong

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monopong/id1660590652)

Experience a minimalist arcade game where you control a single paddle to bounce a ball. Compete with players worldwide on global leaderboards and unlock achievements as you test your reflexes.

**Highlights:** Minimalist arcade gameplay, Single-player experience, Global leaderboards, In-game achievements, Reaction time testing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock Style Skip | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Addictive gameplay
- 👍 Simple and minimal design
- 👍 No ads
- 👍 Small file size
- 👍 Satisfying haptics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤔 Unpredictable ball trajectory
- 🤔 Frustrating randomness
- 🤔 Limited content
- 🤔 Rigid controls
- 🤔 Some UI elements off-screen

**Reported bugs**

- Achievement button partially off-screen on iPhone 8
- Game lags and is not original (reported in Russian)

**Requested features**

- Portrait mode / one-handed play
- Ball customization / skins
- More achievements
- Different leaderboard types
- Option to disable vibration


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Axe Climber free?

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

### Is Monopong free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Axe Climber or Monopong?

Axe Climber and Monopong are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 57K and 32 ratings respectively.

### Do Axe Climber or Monopong have ads?

Axe Climber shows ads; Monopong does not.

### Which is updated more often, Axe Climber or Monopong?

Axe Climber ships an update monthly, and Monopong every 6 weeks. Most recently, Axe Climber was updated on September 24, 2026 and Monopong on July 4, 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.*