# Vactics vs Spell Masters

The clearest difference is rating: Spell Masters at 4.7 against Vactics's 4.0. Spell Masters also leads on ratings volume (340 vs 56). Vactics's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (71% vs 47%). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Vactics sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 3 months and Spell Masters sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Spell Masters holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Spell Masters has 340 ratings behind it against 56, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 71% of Vactics's written reviews are positive against 47% of Spell Masters's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Vactics ships an update every 3 weeks, Spell Masters every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Vactics | Spell Masters |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (56 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vactics/id1561887778/reviews) | **[4.7 (340 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spell-masters/id6448452145/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 56 | **340** |
| Positive reviews | **70.9% of reviews** | 47.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 309 MB | 179 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Gerard Delaney](https://appshunter.io/developer/1476170004) | [Wild Spark Oy](https://appshunter.io/developer/1641864039) |

## What reviewers say

### Vactics

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vactics/id1561887778)

Engage in tactical, chess-like combat by building powerful mechs to battle robotic enemies. Face randomly generated challenges and fight for a better future in this strategic warfare game.

**Highlights:** Mech building, Tactical chess-like combat, Randomly generated challenges, Mech and tech upgrades, Extended campaign, Leaderboard competition

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Subscribe to Vactics Pro | $2.99 | per 3 months |
| Vactics Pro | $8.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Innovative gameplay mechanics
- 👍 Deep tactical gameplay
- 🎨 Gorgeous art style
- 🎶 Excellent synthwave score
- ✨ Well-balanced gameplay

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 High price for pro version
- 💸 Expensive subscription options
- 😩 Frustrating paywall
- ❓ Lacking tutorial explanations
- 🐌 Slow restart function

**Reported bugs**

- Combo attack bonus cancelled by heavy landing
- "Restore purchases" not working after update
- Cannot equip more than one ability
- Inconsistent combat: adjacent Vactic not hitting
- Cannot mount one tech in Chassis and one in Engine

**Requested features**

- Add more upgrades
- Add more game modes
- Add online co-op
- Add infinite wave competition
- Add diverging paths on map like FTL


### Spell Masters

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spell-masters/id6448452145)

Embark on a magical journey to become a legendary Spell Master by building powerful decks of spells and guardians. Engage in various game modes, join guilds for community interaction, and collect powerful rewards. This casual fantasy RPG offers deep tactical gameplay that is easy to learn.

**Highlights:** Build powerful spell and guardian decks, Engage in multiple game modes (Adventures, PvP, Daily Levels), Join or create guilds for community and rewards, Collect spells and guardians from treasure chests, Casual yet tactical gameplay

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Special Offer | $0.99 | one-time |
| Special Offer | $2.99 | one-time |
| Special Offer | $3.99 | one-time |
| Special Offer | $4.99 | one-time |
| Special Offer | $9.99 | one-time |
| Special Offer | $19.99 | one-time |
| Barrel of Gems | $24.99 | one-time |
| Special Offer | $29.99 | one-time |
| Special Offer | $49.99 | one-time |
| Special Offer | $99.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Vactics free?

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

### Is Spell Masters free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Vactics or Spell Masters?

Spell Masters is rated higher. Vactics averages 4.0 out of 5 from 56 ratings, while Spell Masters averages 4.7 from 340 ratings.

### Do Vactics or Spell Masters have ads?

Spell Masters shows ads; Vactics does not.

### Which is updated more often, Vactics or Spell Masters?

Vactics ships an update every 3 weeks, and Spell Masters every 2 weeks. Most recently, Vactics was updated on November 3, 2026 and Spell Masters on November 3, 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.*