# Idle Magic vs Backpack Viking

The clearest difference is ads: Idle Magic at none against Backpack Viking's shown. Idle Magic also leads on review sentiment (35% vs 15%) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 13.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Idle Magic sells 7 one-off in-app purchases and Backpack Viking sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Idle Magic against 4.5 for Backpack Viking. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 644 and 338 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 35% of Idle Magic's written reviews are positive against 15% of Backpack Viking's.

Idle Magic ships an update every 5 days, Backpack Viking weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Idle Magic | Backpack Viking |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (644 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-magic/id1479138611/reviews)** | [4.5 (338 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backpack-viking-merge/id6505057874/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **644** | 338 |
| Positive reviews | **35.2% of reviews** | 15.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 225 MB | 181 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [REALITY SQUARED GAME CO., LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1089468219) | [Potato Play Pte. Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1467734917) |

## What reviewers say

### Idle Magic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-magic/id1479138611)

Embark on an epic medieval magic adventure where you recruit heroes to automatically battle and defend your kingdom. Strategically manage your troops to gather resources, upgrade skills, and challenge powerful bosses in this addictive idle clicker game.

**Highlights:** Idle System for automatic battles, Recruit and manage heroes, Strategic troop arrangement, Dig for gold and collect airdrops, Upgrade skills, Boss Challenges

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Buy Gems_1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Buy Gift | $4.99 | one-time |
| Buy Gems_2 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Buy Gems_3 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Buy Gems_4 | $19.99 | one-time |
| Buy Gems_5 | $49.99 | one-time |
| Buy Gems_6 | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great game
- 🚀 Adds fun and entertainment
- 💡 Interesting take on idle tower defense/merge RPG

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Ads not working or crashing the game
- 🐛 Offline earnings not working
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches after updates
- 🐛 Progression issues due to full slots

**Reported bugs**

- Offline earning not working
- 300 seconds feature not available
- Crashes after watching ads
- Sound randomly stops playing
- Upgrade system freezing the game

**Requested features**

- More stages in the arena
- Less randomness in the gem wheel
- Option to dispose of units


### Backpack Viking

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backpack-viking-merge/id6505057874)

Embark on a Viking adventure, crafting and merging weapons in your backpack to defeat goblin hordes. Strategically manage your inventory, level up gear, and utilize item buffs to enhance combat abilities and restore peace.

**Highlights:** Craft and merge weapons, Backpack inventory management, Level up weapons, Item buffs and placement, Defend against goblin hordes, Viking warrior adventure

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

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bundle $0.99 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Bundle $2.99 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Bundle $3.99 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Bundle $4.99 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Bundle $6.99 | $6.99 | one-time |
| Bundle $9.99 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Bundle $14.99 | $14.99 | one-time |
| Bundle $19.99 | $19.99 | one-time |
| Bundle $39.99 | $39.99 | one-time |
| Bundle $49.99 | $49.99 | one-time |
| Bundle $99.99 | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun game
- 💡 Interesting backpack game concept

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Too many ads
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 🔒 Forced ads to progress

**Reported bugs**

- Game freezes and crashes
- Enemies freeze at spawn point
- Progression issues with not getting credit for completing stages

**Requested features**

- Option to store gear between rounds
- Option to watch ads for extra bag space
- Adjustable 2x speed option


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Idle Magic free?

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

### Is Backpack Viking free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Idle Magic or Backpack Viking?

Idle Magic is rated higher. Idle Magic averages 4.7 out of 5 from 644 ratings, while Backpack Viking averages 4.5 from 338 ratings.

### Do Idle Magic or Backpack Viking have ads?

Backpack Viking shows ads; Idle Magic does not.

### Which is updated more often, Idle Magic or Backpack Viking?

Idle Magic ships an update every 5 days, and Backpack Viking weekly. Most recently, Idle Magic was updated on October 24, 2026 and Backpack Viking on October 22, 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.*