# Kingdom Maker vs THE MACHINE

The clearest difference is update cadence: THE MACHINE at daily against Kingdom Maker's every 5 days. THE MACHINE also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Kingdom Maker's advantage is ratings volume (11K vs 1) and chart position (#182 vs unranked). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Kingdom Maker sells 19 one-off in-app purchases and THE MACHINE sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

THE MACHINE holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Kingdom Maker has 11K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Kingdom Maker ships an update every 5 days, THE MACHINE daily. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Kingdom Maker | THE MACHINE |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (11K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kingdom-maker-build-strategy/id1477420430/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-machine-assembly/id6808324017/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **11K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 46.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#182** | — |
| Size | 303 MB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Global Worldwide, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1477420429) | [IAN FABIAN FAGERSTROM](https://appshunter.io/developer/6808324019) |

## What reviewers say

### Kingdom Maker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kingdom-maker-build-strategy/id1477420430)

**Currently charting:** #182 Top Grossing · Role Playing, #193 Top Grossing · Strategy (US App Store)

Build a medieval fantasy empire from humble beginnings. Command armies in real-time battles, raise dragons, and forge alliances to conquer vast lands. Customize your kingdom and lead heroes in an expansive open world.

**Highlights:** Build and customize your empire, Real-time tactical battles, Raise and train dragons, Form multiplayer alliances, Explore an open medieval world, Create unique heroes and banners

**In-app purchases (19)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Quick Bundle | $0.99 | one-time |
| Apprentice I Bundle | $1.99 | one-time |
| Apprentice II Bundle | $2.99 | one-time |
| Starter Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Mini Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Journeyman II Bundle | $6.99 | one-time |
| Journeyman III Bundle | $7.99 | one-time |
| Adept I Bundle | $8.99 | one-time |
| Crate of Gold | $9.99 | one-time |
| Adept II Bundle | $9.99 | one-time |
| Adept V Bundle | $14.99 | one-time |
| Master I Bundle | $19.99 | one-time |
| Grandmaster I Bundle | $29.99 | one-time |
| Grandmaster Bundle II | $32.99 | one-time |
| Grandmaster III Bundle | $34.99 | one-time |
| Royal Bundle | $49.99 | one-time |
| Royal I Bundle | $49.99 | one-time |
| Exalted Bundle | $99.99 | one-time |
| Revered Bundle | $199.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Addictive gameplay
- 👍 Unique features like noble families
- 💡 Interesting combat mechanics
- 🤝 Engaging alliance system
- 🎨 Colorful and polished graphics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- ⏱️ Slow progression and resource gathering
- 🤑 Overly aggressive monetization
- 🧠 Lack of player control in battles
- 🗺️ Unbalanced server merges leading to bullying

**Reported bugs**

- Notifications not working correctly
- Loading issues and crashes
- Noble family members unable to communicate
- Incorrect resource display and tracking

**Requested features**

- Ability to control unit movements in battles
- Improved resource gathering and progression
- More alliance features and coordination tools
- Ability to reset or start a new account
- Better translation and language support


### THE MACHINE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-machine-assembly/id6808324017)

Engage with a mechanical puzzle box focused on experimentation and understanding cause and effect. Install and reorder parts to observe signal flow and solve objectives. Discover new hardware and deeper systems as the machine awakens.

**Highlights:** Mechanical puzzle box gameplay, Experimentation and cause/effect mechanics, 34 unique mechanism families, Stateful, order-sensitive puzzles, Tuning and Fusion systems, Offline play, Single optional purchase for full content

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| THE MACHINE | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Kingdom Maker free?

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

### Is THE MACHINE free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Kingdom Maker or THE MACHINE?

THE MACHINE is rated higher. Kingdom Maker averages 4.8 out of 5 from 11K ratings, while THE MACHINE averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Kingdom Maker or THE MACHINE have ads?

Neither Kingdom Maker nor THE MACHINE shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Kingdom Maker or THE MACHINE?

Kingdom Maker ships an update every 5 days, and THE MACHINE daily. Most recently, Kingdom Maker was updated on October 25, 2026 and THE MACHINE on September 29, 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.*