# Drifting Stone vs Castle Defender

The clearest difference is ads: Drifting Stone at none against Castle Defender's shown. Drifting Stone also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 26 months) and ratings volume (13 vs 2). Castle Defender's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Drifting Stone sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Castle Defender sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Castle Defender holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Drifting Stone has 13 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Drifting Stone ships an update monthly, Castle Defender every 26 months. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Drifting Stone | Castle Defender |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drifting-stone/id1361026354/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/castle-defender-machine-gun3d/id1580943009/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **13** | 2 |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 26 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 20 MB | 215 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [洁 任](https://appshunter.io/developer/368923700) | [Maysalward UK](https://appshunter.io/developer/1241753360) |

## What reviewers say

### Drifting Stone

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drifting-stone/id1361026354)

Skip stones across the water, tapping to make them bounce and achieve the highest score. This physics-based game offers endless fun with simple one-button controls, challenging players to master its mechanics.

**Highlights:** One-button gameplay, Endless gameplay, Physics-based challenges, Unlock new stones, Global rankings

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| No Ad Forever | $1.99 | one-time |


### Castle Defender

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/castle-defender-machine-gun3d/id1580943009)

Defend your town from relentless skeleton armies in this arcade shooting tower defense game. Upgrade weapons and defenses to survive increasing waves and defeat the undead boss. Shoot your way through the hordes to protect the city and its people.

**Highlights:** Wave-based skeleton defense, Weapon and defense upgrades, Boss battles, Arcade shooting gameplay, Town protection

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Drifting Stone free?

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

### Is Castle Defender free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Drifting Stone or Castle Defender?

Castle Defender is rated higher. Drifting Stone averages 4.7 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while Castle Defender averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Drifting Stone or Castle Defender have ads?

Castle Defender shows ads; Drifting Stone does not.

### Which is updated more often, Drifting Stone or Castle Defender?

Drifting Stone ships an update monthly, and Castle Defender every 26 months. Most recently, Drifting Stone was updated on November 2, 2026 and Castle Defender on November 3, 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.*