Comparison

Azur Lane vs Aether Gazer

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Azur Lane

Engage in naval warfare with a unique blend of RPG, 2D shooter, and tactical gameplay. Organize your fleet of over 300 unique warships, each with a beautiful anime character, and engage in intuitive side-scrolling battles. Choose between AI or manual control to lead your forces to victory.

Highlights
  • RPG, 2D shooter, tactical genres combined
  • Intuitive 2D side-scroller gameplay
  • Organize up to six ships into flotillas
  • AI and manually controlled battles
  • Build your fleet with over 300 warships
  • Live2D interaction for selected characters
Features
Read full description

An ideal Naval Warfare game like you always imagined! ・A unique mix of RPG, 2D shooter and tactical genres combined in a beautifully designed anime game ・Easy and intuitive gameplay, built on the concept of 2D side-scroller, is the main feature of Azur Lane ・Organize up to six ships into flotilla, break through enemy gunfire and defeat them! ・Both AI and manually controlled battles are available, choose whatever you like! ・Build your own fleet. Azur Lane has a wide range of warships from all over the world. ・More than 300 ships, each with its unique stats and represented by a beautiful character! ・Live2D interaction technology is available for selected characters Azur Lane Official Homepage: https://azurlane.yo-star.com/ Official Discord Server: https://discord.gg/azurlane Official Twitter Account: https://twitter.com/AzurLane_EN Official Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/azurlaneofficial/ Official Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/azurlane_official/ Official YouTube Page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPeJaqP6WgxUVDcpYkXZKMQ

About

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.

Highlights
  • Fast-paced action combat
  • Character skill customization
  • Squad building and combos
  • Explore a dystopian world
  • Premium character design
  • Immersive soundtrack
Features
Read full description

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

Azur Lane4 screens
Aether Gazer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Azur Lane at none against Aether Gazer's shown. Azur Lane also leads on chart position (#59 vs unranked) and review sentiment (66% vs 57%). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Azur Lane sells 71 one-off in-app purchases and Aether Gazer sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Azur Lane holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Azur Lane has 6.7K ratings behind it against 1.3K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 66% of Azur Lane's written reviews are positive against 57% of Aether Gazer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Azur Lane versus Aether Gazer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAzur LaneAether Gazer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (6.7K ratings) — better4.3 (1.3K ratings)
Positive reviews66.0% of reviews — better56.6% of reviews
Number of ratings6.7K — better1.3K
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 4 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#59 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size3.3 GB3.9 GB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperYOSTAR LIMITEDHONG KONG YONGSHI NETWORK TECHNOLOGY CO., LIMITED

Customer experience

Azur Lane

All ratings6,682 ratings
Positive86.9%
Neutral2.8%
Negative10.3%
Written reviews1,041 reviews
Positive66.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative24.0%

Aether Gazer

All ratings1,263 ratings
Positive82.7%
Neutral4.5%
Negative12.8%
Written reviews343 reviews
Positive56.6%
Neutral13.4%
Negative30.0%

User reviews

Azur Lane

From 6.7K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Generous gacha rates
  • 🚀 Frequent updates and events
  • 👍 Charming character designs
  • 👍 Responsive and helpful developers
  • 👍 F2P-friendly monetization

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and connection issues
  • 🔋 High battery consumption
  • 🔒 Account binding and data transfer problems
  • 💰 Inconsistent in-app purchase pricing
  • 🤔 Repetitive and grindy gameplay

Aether Gazer

From 1.3K App Store ratings

What 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

Azur Lane

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Tutorial progress reset after connection issues
  • Inability to confirm nickname during tutorial
  • Disappearing live2D effects and sound
  • Crashes and connection errors on older devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to search for specific ships in dock
  • Indicators for retrofittable and owned ships
  • Increased dock space capacity
  • Commander customization options
  • Ability to transfer accounts between devices

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

71 purchases

Azur Lane

One-time71
  • Daily Paid Pack (Day 2)2 variants$0.99
  • Daily Paid Pack (Day 4)$0.99
  • Daily Paid Pack (Day 6)2 variants$0.99
Show 68 more
  • Novice sailing supplies$0.99
  • Handful of Gems$0.99
  • Daily Sortie Refuel Pack$0.99
  • Daily Paid Pack (Day 1)$0.99
  • Commander Level Boost Pack$4.99
  • Pile of Gems$4.99
  • Sports & Race Return Lucky Box$6.99
  • School Return Lucky Box$6.99
  • Trade License (30 days)$7.99
  • Fair Winds Cruise Pass3 variants$9.99
  • Fair Winds Cruise Pass 2024.4$9.99
  • Fair Winds Cruise Pass 2026.10$9.99
  • Fair Winds Cruise Pass 2026.8$9.99
  • Fair Winds Cruise Pass 2026.6$9.99
  • Sack of Gems$9.99
  • Fair Winds Cruise Pass 2025.8$9.99
  • Fair Winds Cruise Pass 2025.6$9.99
  • Fair Winds Cruise Pass 2025.4$9.99
  • Fair Winds Cruise Pass 2025.2$9.99
  • Live2D Surprise Lucky Bag$9.99
  • Fair Winds Cruise Pass 2024.10$9.99
  • Fair Winds Cruise Pass 2024.8$9.99
  • Fair Winds Cruise Pass 2024.6$9.99
  • Box of Gems$19.99
  • Resplendent Night Lucky Bag I2 variants$29.99
  • Resplendent Night Lucky Bag II2 variants$29.99
  • Spring Lucky Box 2024 A$29.99
  • Spring Lucky Box 2024 B$29.99
  • Cyber City Lucky Box$29.99
  • Adventurer's Lucky Chest$29.99
  • Eerie Talismans Lucky Bag B$29.99
  • Eerie Talismans Lucky Bag A$29.99
  • 8th Anniversary Lucky Bag$29.99
  • Loving Care Lucky Box$29.99
  • Sparkling Dreams Lucky Box$29.99
  • Swimsuit Lucky Bag 2026 B$29.99
  • Swimsuit Lucky Bag 2026 A$29.99
  • Swimsuit Lucky Bag 2025 A Rerun$29.99
  • Lucky Bag$29.99
  • Halloween Lucky Box 2025$29.99
  • Ninja Castle Lucky Box B$29.99
  • 7th Anniversary Lucky bag$29.99
  • Office Cabinet Lucky Box$29.99
  • Swimsuit Lucky Bag 2025 B$29.99
  • Swimsuit Lucky Bag 2025 A$29.99
  • Swimsuit Lucky Bag 2024 Rerun$29.99
  • Pajama Party Lucky Bag$29.99
  • Hospital Adventure Lucky Bag$29.99
  • Nile Colors Lucky Box$29.99
  • Spring Lucky Box 2025 B$29.99
  • Spring Lucky Box 2024 A Rerun$29.99
  • Spring Lucky Box 2025 A$29.99
  • Game Night Lucky Bag B$29.99
  • Game Night Lucky Bag A$29.99
  • Black Friday Lucky Bag$29.99
  • Halloween Lucky Box 2024$29.99
  • Dreamland Lucky Bag B$29.99
  • Autumn Classics Box Rerun$29.99
  • Dreamland Lucky Bag A$29.99
  • Fashion Lucky Bag Rerun$29.99
  • 6th Anniversary Lucky Barrel$29.99
  • High Speed Lucky Bag$29.99
  • School Time Lucky Bag$29.99
  • Swimsuit Lucky Bag 2024$29.99
  • Exquisite Lucky Envelope 2024$29.99
  • Battle UI Pack (Premium)$36.99
  • Chest of Gems$39.99
  • Ship of Gems$79.99
11 purchases

Aether Gazer

One-time11
  • 60 Shifting Flowers$0.99
  • C-Obs$4.99
  • 490 Shifting Flowers$7.99
Show 8 more
  • 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 Azur Lane free?
Azur Lane is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Aether Gazer free?
Aether Gazer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Azur Lane or Aether Gazer?
Azur Lane is rated higher. Azur Lane averages 4.5 out of 5 from 6.7K ratings, while Aether Gazer averages 4.3 from 1.3K ratings.
Do Azur Lane or Aether Gazer have ads?
Aether Gazer shows ads; Azur Lane does not.
Which is updated more often, Azur Lane or Aether Gazer?
Azur Lane ships an update every 4 months, and Aether Gazer every 4 months. Most recently, Azur Lane was updated on October 27, 2026 and Aether Gazer on October 25, 2026.

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