# Forge Ahead vs Swords Maker

The clearest difference is ads: Swords Maker at none against Forge Ahead's shown. Swords Maker also leads on update cadence (weekly vs monthly). Forge Ahead's advantage is review sentiment (41% vs 9%) and ratings volume (85K vs 5.7K). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Forge Ahead sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and Swords Maker sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Forge Ahead holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Forge Ahead has 85K ratings behind it against 5.7K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 41% of Forge Ahead's written reviews are positive against 9% of Swords Maker's.

Forge Ahead ships an update monthly, Swords Maker weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Forge Ahead | Swords Maker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (85K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/forge-ahead-be-a-blacksmith/id1485491919/reviews)** | [4.4 (5.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swords-maker/id1601831541/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **85K** | 5.7K |
| Positive reviews | **41.1% of reviews** | 9.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 254 MB | 289 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Lion Studios](https://appshunter.io/developer/1362220666) | [Rollic Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/1452111779) |

## What reviewers say

### Forge Ahead

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/forge-ahead-be-a-blacksmith/id1485491919)

Mine exotic metals and precious gems, then hammer them into beautifully crafted swords. Run your own armory to display your creations and earn money to unlock even better materials and designs. Enjoy addictive gameplay that lets you earn even when offline.

**Highlights:** Mine exotic metals and gems, Hammer molten metal into swords, Run your own armory, Unlock new materials and designs, Earn money offline, Addictive tap-based mechanics

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tier 1 Coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $4.99 | one-time |
| Remove Upgrade Ads | $4.99 | one-time |
| Tier 2 Coins | $6.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $8.99 | one-time |
| Tier 3 Coins | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fun and addictive gameplay
- 👍 Satisfying forging process
- 🚀 Casual time-killer

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Lack of clarity on ore values
- 🔍 Repetitive and limited gameplay
- 💸 Excessive ads and monetization
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to store/save forged swords
- Customers not appearing consistently

**Requested features**

- More ore/material variety and selection
- Additional weapon types beyond swords
- Ability to discard unwanted ores
- More detailed progression and upgrades
- Improved customer/quest system


### Swords Maker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swords-maker/id1601831541)

Forge metal, shape it into powerful weapons, and battle enemies in this exciting sword-making runner game. Unlock hundreds of sword combinations and face new challenges at the end of each level.

**Highlights:** Forge metal into swords, Shape swords for combat, Battle enemies with created swords, Unlock hundreds of sword combinations, Navigate obstacles, Progress through levels with unique swords

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| No Ads | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fun game concept
- 👍 Decent graphics
- 🚀 Addictive gameplay

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Excessive ads
- 🐛 Game freezes and crashes
- 🔒 Forced ads even after paying to remove them
- 🕹️ Difficulty spike and unfair level design
- 🕹️ Meaningless stats and progression issues

**Reported bugs**

- Game freezes at certain levels
- Inability to progress past level 17 or 55
- Permanent loss of unlocked skins

**Requested features**

- Option to disable ads for a one-time fee
- Improved level design and difficulty balancing
- More meaningful progression and stat system


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Forge Ahead free?

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

### Is Swords Maker free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Forge Ahead or Swords Maker?

Forge Ahead is rated higher. Forge Ahead averages 4.6 out of 5 from 85K ratings, while Swords Maker averages 4.4 from 5.7K ratings.

### Do Forge Ahead or Swords Maker have ads?

Forge Ahead shows ads; Swords Maker does not.

### Which is updated more often, Forge Ahead or Swords Maker?

Forge Ahead ships an update monthly, and Swords Maker weekly. Most recently, Forge Ahead was updated on October 20, 2026 and Swords Maker on October 17, 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.*