# Northgard vs Dune

The clearest difference is update cadence: Dune at every 5 days against Northgard's every 6 weeks. Dune also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.6) and review sentiment (79% vs 61%). Northgard's advantage is price ($7.99 vs $10.99) and iOS requirement (13.6 vs 15.0). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Northgard costs $7.99 and Dune $10.99 up front. Northgard sells 12 one-off in-app purchases and Dune sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Dune holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3.7K and 5K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 61% of Northgard's written reviews are positive against 79% of Dune's.

Northgard ships an update every 6 weeks, Dune every 5 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Northgard | Dune |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$7.99** | $10.99 |
| Rating | [4.6 (3.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/northgard/id1533979882/reviews) | **[4.9 (5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dune-imperium/id1575414319/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 3.7K | **5K** |
| Positive reviews | 61.4% of reviews | **78.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #19 | **#18** |
| Size | 892 MB | 804 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.6** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Playdigious](https://appshunter.io/developer/1041387229) | [Dire Wolf Digital](https://appshunter.io/developer/815343758) |

## What reviewers say

### Northgard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/northgard/id1533979882)

**Currently charting:** #19 Top Paid · Role Playing, #58 Top Paid · Strategy, #177 Top Paid · Games (US App Store)

Lead a Viking clan to explore, settle, and conquer a mysterious new continent. Manage resources, assign jobs, and survive harsh winters and dangerous foes. Choose your clan's path to victory through conquest, trade, or devotion.

**Highlights:** Build and manage settlements, Assign Vikings to jobs, Resource management and survival, Territory expansion and discovery, Multiple victory conditions, Story mode campaign, Multiplayer modes

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Clan of the Rat | $2.95 | one-time |
| Clan of the Squirrel | $2.99 | one-time |
| Clan of the snake | $2.99 | one-time |
| Clan of the Dragon | $2.99 | one-time |
| Clan of the Horse | $2.99 | one-time |
| Clan of the Ox | $2.99 | one-time |
| Clan of the Kraken | $2.99 | one-time |
| Clan of the Lynx | $2.99 | one-time |
| Clan of the Eagle | $2.99 | one-time |
| Scale Bundle | $6.99 | one-time |
| Fur Bundle | $6.99 | one-time |
| Winter Bundle | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great game
- 👍 Fantastic strategy game
- 👍 Challenging and fun
- 👍 Excellent port to mobile
- 👍 Lots of replayability

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes
- 🐛 Buggy menus and UI
- 🔋 Battery draining
- 🐛 Glitchy audio
- 🐛 Saves getting deleted

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes frequently
- Menus and UI are buggy
- Audio glitches and cuts out
- Saves get deleted unexpectedly
- Multiplayer is unreliable

**Requested features**

- Add multiplayer mode
- Improve tutorial and instructions
- Add controller support
- Optimize performance and stability
- Add Chinese language support


### Dune

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dune-imperium/id1575414319)

**Currently charting:** #18 Top Paid · Board, #60 Top Paid · Strategy, #191 Top Paid · Games (US App Store)

Engage in strategic warfare and political intrigue on the desert planet Arrakis. This award-winning board game adaptation blends deck-building and worker placement mechanics. Compete against AI, other players online, or face unique challenges and rotating game modes.

**Highlights:** Deck-building mechanics, Worker placement strategy, Online multiplayer, Local AI battles, Unique challenges, Rotating Skirmish Mode, Achievement system

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Dune: Imperium - Rise of Ix | $9.99 | one-time |
| Dune: Imperium - Immortality | $9.99 | one-time |
| Dune: Imperium - Uprising | $10.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth gameplay
- 🎨 Beautiful implementation
- 💪 Challenging AI
- 🕹️ Great digital adaptation of the board game
- 🕰️ Quick gameplay sessions

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Obtrusive DRM
- 🕹️ No local multiplayer/pass-and-play
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 🔁 Slow reloading when switching between app and game
- 🔍 Difficulty seeing card details

**Reported bugs**

- Intrigue card issues
- Inconsistent login credentials
- Notification problems
- Victory points reset bug

**Requested features**

- Controller support
- Pass and play mode
- Ability to choose leaders
- Expand card detail visibility


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Northgard free?

Northgard costs $7.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Dune free?

Dune costs $10.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Northgard or Dune?

Dune is rated higher. Northgard averages 4.6 out of 5 from 3.7K ratings, while Dune averages 4.9 from 5K ratings.

### Do Northgard or Dune have ads?

Neither Northgard nor Dune shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Northgard or Dune?

Northgard ships an update every 6 weeks, and Dune every 5 days. Most recently, Northgard was updated on October 31, 2026 and Dune on October 31, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Northgard or Dune?

Northgard currently peaks at #19 in the App Store charts, and Dune at #18. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*