# Merchant vs Incremental ELM Quest

The clearest difference is ads: Incremental ELM Quest at none against Merchant's shown. Incremental ELM Quest also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and update cadence (every 6 days vs every 2 weeks). Merchant's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Merchant sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Incremental ELM Quest sells 3 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 — 4.4 for Merchant against 4.4 for Incremental ELM Quest. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 53 and 22 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 50% of Merchant's written reviews are positive against 48% of Incremental ELM Quest's.

Merchant ships an update every 2 weeks, Incremental ELM Quest every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Merchant | Incremental ELM Quest |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (53 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merchant-guilds/id1526555919/reviews)** | [4.4 (22 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/incremental-elm-quest/id6760921175/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **53** | 22 |
| Positive reviews | **50.0% of reviews** | 47.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 410 MB | 55 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Retora Game Studios](https://appshunter.io/developer/484290233) | [Eric Marin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1886824253) |

## 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 |


### Incremental ELM Quest

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/incremental-elm-quest/id6760921175)

Embark on a challenging incremental RPG adventure where every battle and defeat fuels your progress. Upgrade your hero, build your town, and strategize to overcome hundreds of unique foes and powerful bosses. This game offers a rewarding experience for both short sessions and extended play.

**Highlights:** Incremental RPG gameplay, Hero upgrades and evolutions, Town building for progression, Boss battles with unique tactics, Permanent bonuses from defeats, Hundreds of unique enemies

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Buy Dev a Coffee (+30 Renown) | $0.99 | one-time |
| Buy Dev Lunch (+200 Renown) | $4.99 | one-time |
| Fully Support Dev (+450 Renown) | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Merchant free?

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

### Is Incremental ELM Quest free?

Incremental ELM Quest is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Merchant or Incremental ELM Quest?

Merchant is rated higher. Merchant averages 4.4 out of 5 from 53 ratings, while Incremental ELM Quest averages 4.4 from 22 ratings.

### Do Merchant or Incremental ELM Quest have ads?

Merchant shows ads; Incremental ELM Quest does not.

### Which is updated more often, Merchant or Incremental ELM Quest?

Merchant ships an update every 2 weeks, and Incremental ELM Quest every 6 days. Most recently, Merchant was updated on October 24, 2026 and Incremental ELM Quest on October 21, 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.*