# Chess TD vs Merge Orcs

Chess TD and Merge Orcs both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 58% of Merge Orcs's written reviews are positive against 19% of Chess TD's. Merge Orcs also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 15.6). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chess TD sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Merge Orcs sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. 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 Chess TD against 4.7 for Merge Orcs. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 854 and 883 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 19% of Chess TD's written reviews are positive against 58% of Merge Orcs's.

Chess TD ships an update every 6 weeks, Merge Orcs weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess TD | Merge Orcs |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (854 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-td/id1522888447/reviews) | **[4.7 (883 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merge-orcs/id1625620177/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 854 | **883** |
| Positive reviews | 18.8% of reviews | **58.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 491 MB | 163 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **10.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [vmoga](https://appshunter.io/developer/945300832) | [Mooncake Games Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1521253916) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess TD

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-td/id1522888447)

Engage in a strategic tower defense experience where you merge and upgrade hero cards to build powerful combinations. Defend your stronghold against an invading army through various game modes, including campaign, PvP battles, and dungeons.

**Highlights:** Merge and upgrade hero cards, Strategic tower defense gameplay, Campaign mode with daily missions, PvP Battle Mode, Dungeon escape system, Card collection and hero diversity, Guild and clan battles

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pile of Diamonds | $0.99 | one-time |
| Wood Offer | $0.99 | one-time |
| Patron Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Scoop of Diamonds | $4.99 | one-time |
| Beginner Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Heap of Diamonds | $9.99 | one-time |
| VIP Pass | $9.99 | one-time |
| Gold Offer | $9.99 | one-time |
| Pocket of Diamonds | $19.99 | one-time |
| Bucket of Diamonds | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Awesome game
- 👍 Interesting gameplay
- 💡 Unique character design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Login/name input issues
- 🐛 Game crashes/black screens
- 🔋 Excessive ads

**Reported bugs**

- Can't type in name on login screen
- Game crashes on startup
- Matchmaking with AI players instead of real people

**Requested features**

- Add more slots for characters
- Improve online multiplayer experience
- Introduce solo survival mode


### Merge Orcs

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merge-orcs/id1625620177)

Merge units to upgrade them and summon powerful monsters or wield magic by drawing specific patterns. Manage your limited resources wisely to unlock unique abilities and discover hidden mechanics. Enjoy a satisfying gameplay experience with an in-game card collection.

**Highlights:** Merge units for upgrades, Summon monsters and wield magic, Draw patterns for abilities, Resource management, Unique monsters and magic skills, In-game card collection

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess TD free?

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

### Is Merge Orcs free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Chess TD or Merge Orcs?

Merge Orcs is rated higher. Chess TD averages 4.7 out of 5 from 854 ratings, while Merge Orcs averages 4.7 from 883 ratings.

### Do Chess TD or Merge Orcs have ads?

Both Chess TD and Merge Orcs show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Chess TD or Merge Orcs?

Chess TD ships an update every 6 weeks, and Merge Orcs weekly. Most recently, Chess TD was updated on November 3, 2026 and Merge Orcs on November 12, 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.*