# Merchant vs Goblin's Workshop

The clearest difference is rating: Merchant at 4.4 against Goblin's Workshop's 3.7. Merchant also leads on ratings volume (52 vs 9). Goblin's Workshop's advantage is review sentiment (71% vs 50%) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Merchant sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Goblin's Workshop sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Merchant holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Merchant has 52 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 50% of Merchant's written reviews are positive against 71% of Goblin's Workshop's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Merchant ships an update every 2 weeks, Goblin's Workshop every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Merchant | Goblin's Workshop |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (52 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merchant-guilds/id1526555919/reviews)** | [3.7 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/goblins-workshop/id1610243320/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **52** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **71.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 410 MB | 423 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Retora Game Studios](https://appshunter.io/developer/484290233) | [JUNG CHUN HUNG](https://appshunter.io/developer/379851840) |

## What reviewers say

### Merchant

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merchant-guilds/id1526555919)

Embark on a fantasy adventure where you manage a guild, send heroes on quests, and craft valuable items. Trade with customers, gather resources, and collaborate with friends in this unique RPG experience.

**Highlights:** Guild management, Hero quests, Item crafting, Customer sales, Resource gathering, Online multiplayer

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Extra Daily Challenge | $0.99 | one-time |
| Extra Daily Challenge Upg #2 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Hero Slots Unlock | $1.99 | one-time |
| Additional Inventory Slots | $1.99 | one-time |
| Second Inventory Upgrade | $1.99 | one-time |
| Extra Crafting Slot | $3.99 | one-time |
| Extra Hero Loadouts | $9.99 | one-time |
| Ad Free Mode | $9.99 | one-time |
| Unlock All Upgrades | $29.99 | one-time |
| Unlock All Upgrades | $34.99 | one-time |


### Goblin's Workshop

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/goblins-workshop/id1610243320)

A simulation RPG where you craft weapons, recruit monsters, and explore to gather materials. Sell items to monsters, upgrade your transport, and equip your monsters to battle humans and reclaim territories.

**Highlights:** Item crafting and selling, Monster recruitment and exploration, RPG combat mechanics, Idle gameplay, Monster equipment upgrades, Territory battles

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Double Bless | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Goblin King's Bless | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Hire Crystal Miner | $14.99 | per month |
| Fistful of crystals | $0.99 | one-time |
| Unlock a random recipe | $1.99 | one-time |
| Pouch of crystals | $2.99 | one-time |
| Chest of crystals | $9.99 | one-time |
| 3x Battle Speed | $9.99 | one-time |
| Newbie Special Package | $9.99 | one-time |
| Barrel of crystals | $29.99 | one-time |
| Unlock all monsters | $47.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Merchant free?

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

### Is Goblin's Workshop free?

Goblin's Workshop is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Merchant or Goblin's Workshop?

Merchant is rated higher. Merchant averages 4.4 out of 5 from 52 ratings, while Goblin's Workshop averages 3.7 from 9 ratings.

### Do Merchant or Goblin's Workshop have ads?

Both Merchant and Goblin's Workshop show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Merchant or Goblin's Workshop?

Merchant ships an update every 2 weeks, and Goblin's Workshop every 3 weeks. Most recently, Merchant was updated on October 15, 2026 and Goblin's Workshop on September 30, 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.*