# Marginalia Hero vs Trenches

The clearest difference is rating: Marginalia Hero at 4.5 against Trenches's 3.5. Marginalia Hero also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 6 months) and ratings volume (1.8K vs 17). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Marginalia Hero sells 12 one-off in-app purchases and Trenches sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Marginalia Hero holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Marginalia Hero has 1.8K ratings behind it against 17, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 73% of Marginalia Hero's written reviews are positive against 64% of Trenches's.

Marginalia Hero ships an update weekly, Trenches every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Marginalia Hero | Trenches |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marginalia-hero/id1455043968/reviews)** | [3.5 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/trenches-arcade/id1602548816/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.8K** | 17 |
| Positive reviews | **72.7% of reviews** | 63.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 73 MB | 130 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Crescent Moon Games LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/370521012) | [James Lingo](https://appshunter.io/developer/1303899733) |

## What reviewers say

### Marginalia Hero

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marginalia-hero/id1455043968)

Embark on a unique medieval RPG adventure fighting creatures inspired by centuries-old art. Collect coins to upgrade weapons, shields, and companions. Experience challenging gameplay across 100 levels with a distinctive visual style and atmospheric music.

**Highlights:** Unique medieval art style graphics, Challenging and addictive gameplay, 100+ items for customization, 100 levels with unique creatures, Endless tournament mode, One-finger controls

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

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Wanderer's bag | $1.99 | one-time |
| No ads basic | $1.99 | one-time |
| Gervase | $1.99 | one-time |
| Gurgustius | $1.99 | one-time |
| Citizen's savings | $4.99 | one-time |
| Richard | $4.99 | one-time |
| Duff | $4.99 | one-time |
| No ads full | $6.99 | one-time |
| Rogier | $6.99 | one-time |
| Royal supplies | $8.99 | one-time |
| Alingot | $8.99 | one-time |
| Ebraucus | $8.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Charming art style
- 👍 Entertaining gameplay
- 👍 Unique medieval theme
- 👍 Addictive and fun
- 👍 Good progression system

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy features (coin generation, hidden targets)
- 🐛 Difficulty spikes and unbalanced challenges
- 🔋 Repetitive music and gameplay
- 🔋 Lack of content variety
- 🔋 Intrusive ads at times

**Reported bugs**

- Coin generation issues
- Invisible target bugs
- Ads not working as expected
- Compatibility issues on newer devices

**Requested features**

- More character customization options
- Offline coin generation
- Difficulty balancing improvements
- Additional game modes or mechanics


### Trenches

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/trenches-arcade/id1602548816)

Experience World War 1 combat in this retro-style arcade game. Fight for your country's honor by advancing through enemy trenches or defending your own. This pixilated simulation offers thrilling gameplay and classic sound effects for an immersive experience.

**Highlights:** World War 1 setting, Retro-style graphics, Classic sound effects, Trench warfare gameplay, Strategy and skill-based combat

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| BPG Bucks: 4000 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Unlimited Infantry | $9.99 | one-time |
| Infinite Bullets | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Marginalia Hero free?

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

### Is Trenches free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Marginalia Hero or Trenches?

Marginalia Hero is rated higher. Marginalia Hero averages 4.5 out of 5 from 1.8K ratings, while Trenches averages 3.5 from 17 ratings.

### Do Marginalia Hero or Trenches have ads?

Neither Marginalia Hero nor Trenches shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Marginalia Hero or Trenches?

Marginalia Hero ships an update weekly, and Trenches every 6 months. Most recently, Marginalia Hero was updated on October 24, 2026 and Trenches on October 7, 2026.

---

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