# Dead Cells vs SkySea

The clearest difference is price: SkySea at Free against Dead Cells's $8.99. SkySea also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 88%). Dead Cells's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (12K vs 4). On rating, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

SkySea is free to download; Dead Cells costs $8.99 up front. Dead Cells sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and SkySea sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

SkySea holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dead Cells has 12K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 88% of Dead Cells's written reviews are positive against 100% of SkySea's.

Dead Cells ships an update every 2 months, SkySea every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dead Cells | SkySea |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $8.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.8 (12K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dead-cells/id1389752090/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skysea/id6761926872/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **12K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 88.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#12** | — |
| Size | 1.8 GB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15** | 17.2 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Playdigious](https://appshunter.io/developer/1041387229) | [ZNP Tech](https://appshunter.io/developer/1892108511) |

## What reviewers say

### Dead Cells

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dead-cells/id1389752090)

**Currently charting:** #12 Top Paid · Role Playing, #39 Top Paid · Action, #115 Top Paid · Games, #196 Top Paid (US App Store)

Explore a sprawling, ever-changing castle as a failed alchemic experiment. Master frantic 2D combat with a variety of weapons and skills against dangerous foes. Death is not the end; learn from each attempt to progress through this roguevania action platformer.

**Highlights:** Roguevania exploration, Frantic 2D action combat, Nonlinear progression, Permadeath with learning, Unlockable weapons and skills, DLC content packs

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The Bad Seed | $3.99 | one-time |
| Fatal Falls | $3.99 | one-time |
| The Queen and the Sea | $3.99 | one-time |
| Return to Castlevania | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth gameplay
- 👍 Excellent controls
- 💎 High-quality graphics
- 🎮 Great controller support
- 🔥 Addictive and challenging

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Audio glitches and bugs
- 🤔 Lack of custom mode
- 📱 Finicky touch controls
- 🔇 No background music support

**Reported bugs**

- Saves not compatible across platforms
- Texture and graphical issues on some devices
- Persistent memory leaks causing performance drops

**Requested features**

- Add Chinese language support
- Implement cross-save functionality
- Introduce online multiplayer mode
- Optimize for older devices


### SkySea

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skysea/id6761926872)

Embark on an endless arcade adventure, tapping to navigate through challenging obstacles across diverse worlds. Unlock unique characters and utilize power-ups to survive and compete globally. Enjoy daily rewards and an optional VIP pass for an ad-free experience.

**Highlights:** One-tap gameplay, Endless obstacle courses, 10 unique worlds, Unlockable characters, 6 strategic power-ups, Global leaderboard, Daily rewards and spin wheel

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Starter Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Classic Pack | $3.99 | one-time |
| Value Pack | $7.99 | one-time |
| VIP Pass | $9.99 | one-time |
| Mega Pack | $14.99 | one-time |
| Ultimate Pack | $29.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Dead Cells free?

Dead Cells costs $8.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is SkySea free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Dead Cells or SkySea?

SkySea is rated higher. Dead Cells averages 4.8 out of 5 from 12K ratings, while SkySea averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Dead Cells or SkySea have ads?

SkySea shows ads; Dead Cells does not.

### Which is updated more often, Dead Cells or SkySea?

Dead Cells ships an update every 2 months, and SkySea every 5 weeks. Most recently, Dead Cells was updated on October 28, 2026 and SkySea on October 14, 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.*