# Arcadium vs Astral Hunter

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Arcadium at 95% against Astral Hunter's 50%. Arcadium also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.4) and ratings volume (119 vs 18). Astral Hunter's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 10 days vs every 3 months). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Arcadium sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Astral Hunter sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Arcadium holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Arcadium has 119 ratings behind it against 18, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 95% of Arcadium's written reviews are positive against 50% of Astral Hunter's.

Arcadium ships an update every 3 months, Astral Hunter every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Arcadium | Astral Hunter |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (119 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcadium-space-shooter/id1555937672/reviews)** | [4.4 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astral-hunter/id6503205657/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **119** | 18 |
| Positive reviews | **94.7% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 91 MB | 106 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Luciano Bercini](https://appshunter.io/developer/1553291661) | [开心 李](https://appshunter.io/developer/1701003810) |

## What reviewers say

### Arcadium

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcadium-space-shooter/id1555937672)

Command a fighter ship to defend Earth from alien invaders in this fast-paced arcade shooter. Blast through waves of enemies, collect power-ups, and permanently upgrade your ship for an infinite fight for survival. Enjoy classic retro shmup action with modern twists and one-finger controls.

**Highlights:** Unique spaceships with special skills, Endless alien waves and boss battles, Permanent ship upgrades and mastery perks, Classic arcade shmup gameplay, One-finger controls, Offline play

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Extra HP | $2.99 | one-time |
| Artemis | $2.99 | one-time |
| Hermes | $2.99 | one-time |
| Ares | $3.99 | one-time |
| Ad-Free Revival | $3.99 | one-time |
| 10000 Gems | $3.99 | one-time |
| Aphrodite | $3.99 | one-time |
| Double gems | $4.99 | one-time |
| Pop-up Ad Removal | $4.99 | one-time |
| 30000 Gems | $8.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Classic arcade experience
- 🤩 Fun and addictive gameplay
- 🚀 Nostalgic retro vibes
- 🎮 Straightforward and fair
- ✨ Many different ships with attributes

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⚠️ Can be unfair at times
- 📉 Lost progress on reinstall
- 🐛 Game crashes after a fixed time
- 🐛 Game stops suddenly
- ❓ Difficulty understanding how to play

**Reported bugs**

- Lost all progress after reinstall
- Game crashes after a fixed length of time
- Game suddenly stops
- Wave jump not working

**Requested features**

- Make it possible to play own music
- Continue updating and advertising the game
- More updates and more money spent
- More spaceships or an endless mode
- Nerf arcade nightmare


### Astral Hunter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astral-hunter/id6503205657)

Engage in thrilling flight shooting battles with a roguelike twist. Customize your combat experience with unique aircraft and over 120 combinable chips. Face diverse bosses for a constantly fresh challenge.

**Highlights:** 6 unique aircraft, 120+ combinable chips, Diverse boss battles, Roguelike gameplay, Customizable playstyle

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Access | $0.99 | one-time |
| Beginner Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Have Fun | $1.99 | one-time |
| Hard Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Buy Few Cores | $1.99 | one-time |
| Insane Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Super Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Buy Lots Cores | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Arcadium free?

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

### Is Astral Hunter free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Arcadium or Astral Hunter?

Arcadium is rated higher. Arcadium averages 4.9 out of 5 from 119 ratings, while Astral Hunter averages 4.4 from 18 ratings.

### Do Arcadium or Astral Hunter have ads?

Arcadium shows ads; Astral Hunter does not.

### Which is updated more often, Arcadium or Astral Hunter?

Arcadium ships an update every 3 months, and Astral Hunter every 10 days. Most recently, Arcadium was updated on November 3, 2026 and Astral Hunter on November 4, 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.*