# Azur Lane vs Aether Gazer

The clearest difference is ads: Azur Lane at none against Aether Gazer's shown. Azur Lane also leads on chart position (#60 vs unranked) and review sentiment (66% vs 57%). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Azur Lane | Aether Gazer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (6.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/azur-lane/id1411126549/reviews)** | [4.3 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aether-gazer/id6445892204/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **6.7K** | 1.3K |
| Positive reviews | **66.0% of reviews** | 56.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#60** | — |
| Size | 3.3 GB | 3.9 GB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [YOSTAR LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1411126548) | [HONG KONG YONGSHI NETWORK TECHNOLOGY CO., LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1798143269) |

## What reviewers say

### Azur Lane

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/azur-lane/id1411126549)

**Currently charting:** #60 Top Grossing · Action, #79 Top Grossing · Card (US App Store)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (71)**

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

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aether-gazer/id6445892204)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 60 Shifting Flowers | $0.99 | one-time |
| C-Obs | $4.99 | one-time |
| 490 Shifting Flowers | $7.99 | one-time |
| Advanced Contract | $9.99 | one-time |
| $14.99 Pack | $14.99 | one-time |
| 990 Shifting Flowers | $14.99 | one-time |
| Outfit Voucher2 | $14.99 | one-time |
| Acumen Contract | $18.99 | one-time |
| 1990 Shifting Flowers | $29.99 | one-time |
| 2990 Shifting Flowers | $44.99 | one-time |
| 6000 Shifting Flowers | $89.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth gameplay
- 👍 Generous free-to-play model
- 🎨 Beautiful character designs
- 🎮 Engaging combat mechanics
- 💎 Rewarding gacha system

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔌 Performance issues on some devices
- 🕹️ Lack of controller support
- 📚 Confusing tutorial and UI
- 🌐 Lack of Chinese language support

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- Add Chinese language support
- Improve controller compatibility
- Enhance tutorial and onboarding
- Optimize performance for older devices
- Introduce more endgame content


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*