Comparison

Sword Master Story vs Aether Gazer

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Sword Master Story

Embark on an epic hack-and-slash adventure as a Sword Master betrayed by the empire. Gather allies, unleash brilliant skills, and collect unique heroes from mythology. Explore dungeons, battle bosses, and compete in PVP to become the ultimate warrior.

Highlights
  • Hack & Slash combat with brilliant skill animations
  • Idle mode gameplay
  • Gather goddesses and unique heroes
  • Character collection and strategic deployment
  • Character growth through Level Up, Rebirth, Transcendence
  • Guild system for territory defense and dungeons
  • Various content: Endless Dungeons, Boss Raid, Global PVP
Features
Read full description

Seven years on a journey with the goddesses, and now it all starts anew with 2.0! New visuals, a sleeker interface, and a full overhaul of the content! [7th Anniversary & 2.0 Overhaul Update] - A completely new interface and visuals for smooth play that's easy to take in at a glance! - Reworked challenge modes: Raid, Wanted, Abyss, and the seasonal Colosseum! - Enhance, Transcend, and level up skills all at once! Less repetition, faster growth! - New customization lets you decorate your lobby and profile your way! - Limited 7th anniversary wedding skins are here! Get Haru's wedding skin for free, plus Nera's, for 2 in total! - A new server opens, and stages expand! Now is the time to dive into Sword Master Story! ______________________________________________________ ▶ Hack-and-Slash Nonstop at 3x Speed • Nonstop, explosive action at your fingertips! Thrilling 3x speed! • Flashy skill animations double the thrill and the fun! • An action RPG with super-fast growth you can enjoy stress-free, even idle! ▶ Assemble Your Goddess Party • Fall for their beauty, stay for their power! Meet the goddesses from myths and legends. • Use class and element synergy to build the best party for every situation! • The more characters you collect, the bigger the buffs! Complete your character collection! ▶ Summon the Goddesses You Want • Summon the goddesses you want with Wishlist Summons and build your dream party! • Dress them up in stunning skins that boost their stats too! • Level up and transcend goddesses to grow stronger! Enhance weapons and armor to raise your power! ▶ Dive Into the Immersive Otherworld Story • Uncover the stories of the Sword Master and the goddesses that unlock as you clear stages. • Missed something? Watch it again anytime with Story Replay! ▶ Goddess Showdowns • The seasonal Colosseum opens every 2 weeks! Build attack and defense decks, master the buffs that change each season, and become the true Sword Master of the otherworld! ▶ Endless Challenges • Take on ever-stronger bosses in Raid, where the season changes every week! • Defeat several bosses at once in Wanted, and break through the Abyss with a fixed party!

About

Aether Gazer

Engage in fast-paced combat within a sci-fi anime world where humanity's consciousness resides in an AI orbiting Earth. Battle viruses threatening this digital paradise by customizing characters, building combos, and strategically forming squads to save humanity's future.

Highlights
  • Fast-paced action combat
  • Character skill customization
  • Squad building and combos
  • Explore a dystopian world
  • Premium character design
  • Immersive soundtrack
Features
Read full description

In the future, constant war has eroded the livability of Earth, forcing humanity to escape by uploading their consciousnesses to Gaea, an AI orbiting the Earth. Human consciousness is divided into ten sephirah zones, each with its own unique culture and beliefs, that are all working together towards building the perfect civilization called Idealbild. However, underneath the surface and in the Source Layer, evil computer viruses called Visbanes lurk, bent on destroying humanity’s promised paradise. Use your knowledge of each character’s skillset during battle, use power-ups to build combos and customize your squad to unleash the power of Modifiers to save consciousness and reach the promised future of Idealbild. · Action-Packed Combat Requiring Fast-Paced Decision Making · Explore a Dystopia Filled with Lore and Loot · Customize Your Character's Skills and Seamlessly Change Your Fighting Style · Mix and Match Your Squad for Exciting Chained Combos and Stunning Performances · Premium Quality Character Design with Advanced NPR Rendering Technology · Immersive Soundtrack and Unique Voiceover for Every Character Aether Gazer Official Homepage: https://www.aethergazer.com/ Official Twitter Account: https://twitter.com/aethergazerEN Official Instagram Account: https://www.instagram.com/aethergazerofficial/ Official Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/AetherGazerOfficial/

Screenshots

Sword Master Story4 screens
Aether Gazer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Sword Master Story at 4.7 against Aether Gazer's 4.3. Sword Master Story also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 4 months) and review sentiment (85% vs 57%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Sword Master Story sells 45 one-off in-app purchases and Aether Gazer sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Sword Master Story holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sword Master Story has 19K ratings behind it against 1.3K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of Sword Master Story's written reviews are positive against 57% of Aether Gazer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Sword Master Story ships an update fortnightly, Aether Gazer every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Sword Master Story versus Aether Gazer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSword Master StoryAether Gazer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (19K ratings) — better4.3 (1.3K ratings)
Positive reviews84.7% of reviews — better56.6% of reviews
Number of ratings19K — better1.3K
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 4 months
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size685 MB3.9 GB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperSuperPlanetHONG KONG YONGSHI NETWORK TECHNOLOGY CO., LIMITED

Customer experience

Sword Master Story

All ratings18,783 ratings
Positive95.8%
Neutral2.0%
Negative2.3%
Written reviews795 reviews
Positive84.7%
Neutral3.6%
Negative11.7%

Aether Gazer

All ratings1,263 ratings
Positive82.7%
Neutral4.5%
Negative12.8%
Written reviews343 reviews
Positive56.6%
Neutral13.4%
Negative30.0%

User reviews

Sword Master Story

From 19K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Smooth gameplay
  • 👍 Generous rewards
  • 🎨 Appealing pixel art
  • 🕹️ Satisfying combat
  • 💰 F2P friendly

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes
  • 🌐 Connection issues
  • 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
  • 📜 Poor English translations
  • 🌟 Lack of character diversity

Aether Gazer

From 1.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Smooth gameplay
  • 👍 Generous free-to-play model
  • 🎨 Beautiful character designs
  • 🎮 Engaging combat mechanics
  • 💎 Rewarding gacha system

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • 🔌 Performance issues on some devices
  • 🕹️ Lack of controller support
  • 📚 Confusing tutorial and UI
  • 🌐 Lack of Chinese language support

Bugs and requests

Sword Master Story

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Login issues on certain devices
  • Summon rewards not registering properly
  • Demon Tower equipment issues

Requested features

5 requests
  • More game modes and events
  • Improved equipment enhancement system
  • Faster way to level up characters
  • Option to reset/revert characters
  • Add a friend list and chat feature

Aether Gazer

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Game crashes during boss fights
  • Inability to progress past certain story missions
  • Graphical glitches and visual bugs
  • Login and connection issues
  • Gacha and purchase-related bugs

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add Chinese language support
  • Improve controller compatibility
  • Enhance tutorial and onboarding
  • Optimize performance for older devices
  • Introduce more endgame content

In-app purchases

45 purchases

Sword Master Story

One-time45
  • Airi's Heartbeat Pack$1.49
  • Loud Sweep Pack$1.49
  • Welcome Pack$1.99
Show 42 more
  • Ruby 270$2.99
  • Starter pack$2.99
  • 100 Platinum Coins$2.99
  • Black Friday Pack I$3.99
  • Rookie Pack I$3.99
  • Cain's Year-End Pack$3.99
  • Petal's Promise Pack I$3.99
  • Blooming Dreams Pack I$3.99
  • Sweet Temptation Pack 1$3.99
  • Haru's Meow Key Pack$3.99
  • Light and Darkness Blessing I$3.99
  • Santa's Gift Pack I$3.99
  • Daily Growth Support Pack I$3.99
  • Festival of the Dead Pack I$3.99
  • Blue Beach Pack I$3.99
  • 4th Anniversary Welcome I$3.99
  • Ruby 460$4.99
  • 170 Platinum Coins$4.99
  • Black Friday Pack II$7.99
  • Spring Pack II$7.99
  • Pink Chocolate Pack$7.99
  • Mia’s Sobbing Pack$7.99
  • Light and Darkness Blessing II$7.99
  • Santa's Gift Pack II$7.99
  • Blue Beach Pack II$7.99
  • Festival of the Dead Pack II$7.99
  • 4th Anniversary Welcome II$7.99
  • Daily Growth Support Pack II$7.99
  • Ruby 950$8.99
  • Premium Pack$8.99
  • 350 Platinum Coins$9.99
  • Happy Summer Pack I$16.99
  • Abundance & Earth Pack$16.99
  • Auspicious Flame Pack I$16.99
  • Goddess of Fate Pack$24.99
  • Alice Pack I$24.99
  • Summon Pack 1$26.99
  • Growth Pack$26.99
  • Beach Queen Miyu Pass$26.99
  • Bunny Girl Cain Pass$26.99
  • 1100 Platinum Coins$29.99
  • Summon pack 2$94.99
11 purchases

Aether Gazer

One-time11
  • 60 Shifting Flowers$0.99
  • C-Obs$4.99
  • 490 Shifting Flowers$7.99
Show 8 more
  • Advanced Contract$9.99
  • $14.99 Pack$14.99
  • 990 Shifting Flowers$14.99
  • Outfit Voucher2$14.99
  • Acumen Contract$18.99
  • 1990 Shifting Flowers$29.99
  • 2990 Shifting Flowers$44.99
  • 6000 Shifting Flowers$89.99

Questions

Is Sword Master Story free?
Sword Master Story is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Aether Gazer free?
Aether Gazer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Sword Master Story or Aether Gazer?
Sword Master Story is rated higher. Sword Master Story averages 4.7 out of 5 from 19K ratings, while Aether Gazer averages 4.3 from 1.3K ratings.
Do Sword Master Story or Aether Gazer have ads?
Both Sword Master Story and Aether Gazer show ads.
Which is updated more often, Sword Master Story or Aether Gazer?
Sword Master Story ships an update fortnightly, and Aether Gazer every 4 months. Most recently, Sword Master Story was updated on October 30, 2026 and Aether Gazer on October 27, 2026.

Other comparisons