# Arknights vs Blue Archive

The clearest difference is rating: Arknights at 4.7 against Blue Archive's 4.0. Arknights also leads on review sentiment (74% vs 47%) and chart position (#32 vs #158). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Arknights sells 29 one-off in-app purchases and Blue Archive sells 25 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Arknights holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 10K and 5.6K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 74% of Arknights's written reviews are positive against 47% of Blue Archive's.

Arknights ships an update every 2 months, Blue Archive every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Arknights | Blue Archive |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (10K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arknights/id1464872022/reviews)** | [4.0 (5.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blue-archive/id1571873795/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **10K** | 5.6K |
| Positive reviews | **74.2% of reviews** | 47.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#32** | #158 |
| Size | 3.1 GB | 426 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [YOSTAR LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1411126548) | [NEXON Company](https://appshunter.io/developer/523546006) |

## What reviewers say

### Arknights

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arknights/id1464872022)

**Currently charting:** #32 Top Grossing · Card, #44 Top Grossing · Strategy, #187 Top Grossing · Games (US App Store)

Lead a pharmaceutical company fighting a deadly infection and societal unrest. Recruit and train unique Operators, deploy them in strategic operations, and build your base. Experience a rich anime-style world with a compelling soundtrack and voice acting.

**Highlights:** Anime-style RPG and strategy gameplay, Hundreds of unique Operators, Auto Deploy system, Base construction system, Robust soundtrack and voice acting

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (29)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Extract a piece of Originium | $0.99 | one-time |
| Ambience Synesthesia 2025 Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Friendship Commemorative Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Partners Commemorative Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Extract a cluster of Originium | $4.99 | one-time |
| Monthly Card | $4.99 | one-time |
| Alluring Moonlight Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Hopes and Dreams Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Honey Party Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Never Gilded HeadhuntingBundle | $8.99 | one-time |
| Exclusive Headhunting Bundle | $8.99 | one-time |
| Weekly Growth Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Tales of Stratopolis Pack | $11.99 | one-time |
| Extract a pile of Originium | $14.99 | one-time |
| Starter Headhunting Pack | $19.99 | one-time |
| Monthly Headhunting Pack | $25.99 | one-time |
| Safety Drill Memorial Pack | $25.99 | one-time |
| Perish In Frost Pack | $29.99 | one-time |
| Rhodes Island Headhunting Pack | $29.99 | one-time |
| Rhodes Island Celebration Kit | $29.99 | one-time |
| Sky Mirror Pack | $29.99 | one-time |
| Extract a pack of Originium | $29.99 | one-time |
| Carnevale Pack | $29.99 | one-time |
| Celebration of Flood Pack | $29.99 | one-time |
| Rhodes Island Resource Pack | $29.99 | one-time |
| Dahuang Sightseeing Pack | $29.99 | one-time |
| Extract a box of Originium | $49.99 | one-time |
| Rhodes Island Resource Pack | $49.99 | one-time |
| Extract a crate of Originium | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 F2P friendly
- 🚀 Generous with premium currency
- 💎 Excellent character designs and art
- 🎨 Beautiful soundtrack
- 🧠 Challenging and strategic gameplay

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and bugs
- 🕰️ Slow progression without spending
- 🤔 Confusing UI and menus
- 📚 Overwhelming for new players
- 🧠 Difficulty spike in later stages

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on iOS devices after recent update
- Auto-deploy function not working as intended
- Login errors and lost progress issues
- Incorrect or missing translations

**Requested features**

- Add auto-repeat/skip function for cleared stages
- Improve base management and resource gathering
- Implement a chat/social system
- Increase sanity/energy regeneration rate
- Add language options beyond English


### Blue Archive

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blue-archive/id1571873795)

**Currently charting:** #158 Top Grossing · Role Playing, #168 Top Grossing · Strategy (US App Store)

Lead charming allies in strategic 3D real-time battles within a vast academy city. Uncover thrilling stories of friendship and adventure while deepening bonds with your characters through in-game interactions. Build special memories and resolve endless incidents.

**Highlights:** 3D real-time battles, Strategic team management, Character relationship building, In-game messenger (Momo Talk), Unpredictable main story, Sub stories and club activities

**In-app purchases (25)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| New Sensei Welcome Pack | $0.39 | one-time |
| New Teacher Pyroxene Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Weekly AP Pack | $1.69 | one-time |
| Recruitment Support Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Monthly Pyroxene Half Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| 2-Week AP Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Monthly Pyroxene Pack | $6.99 | one-time |
| StartDash 3-Star Ticket | $11.99 | one-time |
| Weekly Activity Report Pack | $11.99 | one-time |
| StartDash 3-Star Ticket Ⅱ | $11.99 | one-time |
| 3-Star Guaranteed Recruit Pack | $18.99 | one-time |
| HiddenRuins 3Start Select Pack | $18.99 | one-time |
| Code:BOX 3-Star AttackTypePack | $18.99 | one-time |
| Midnight Party LuckyPouchPack | $18.99 | one-time |
| Sheside 3-Star Guaranteed Pack | $18.99 | one-time |
| Sheside 3-Star Selective Pack | $18.99 | one-time |
| aLIVE! 3-Star Guaranteed Pack | $18.99 | one-time |
| aLIVE! Lucky Pouch Pack | $18.99 | one-time |
| Pyroxene x2352 | $18.99 | one-time |
| 3-Star DivisionRecruitmentPack | $18.99 | one-time |
| Cyber New Year LuckyPouchPack | $18.99 | one-time |
| Pyroxene x6,600 | $64.99 | one-time |
| Pyroxene x4800 | $64.99 | one-time |
| Monthly Pyroxene x6,600 | $64.99 | one-time |
| Pyroxene x8000 | $64.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Engaging story and characters
- 🎨 Excellent art and animations
- 🎶 Great soundtrack
- 🎮 Unique and fun gameplay
- 💰 Generous with in-game currency

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- ⏱️ Slow loading times
- 💸 Gacha rates are poor, 200 pulls for pity
- 🤖 Auto-play makes gameplay too passive
- 🤕 Concerns over censorship and broken promises

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when entering certain menus or battles
- Pyroxene (currency) disappearing after pulls
- Notifications causing crashes on iOS devices

**Requested features**

- Improve gacha rates and pity system
- Reduce loading times and crashes
- Add more player control in battles
- Improve PvP mechanics and matchmaking


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Arknights free?

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

### Is Blue Archive free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Arknights or Blue Archive?

Arknights is rated higher. Arknights averages 4.7 out of 5 from 10K ratings, while Blue Archive averages 4.0 from 5.6K ratings.

### Do Arknights or Blue Archive have ads?

Neither Arknights nor Blue Archive shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Arknights or Blue Archive?

Arknights ships an update every 2 months, and Blue Archive every 5 weeks. Most recently, Arknights was updated on October 29, 2026 and Blue Archive on October 29, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Arknights or Blue Archive?

Arknights currently peaks at #32 in the App Store charts, and Blue Archive at #158. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*