# Shattered Pixel Dungeon vs Vault Runner

The clearest difference is price: Vault Runner at Free against Shattered Pixel Dungeon's $4.99. Shattered Pixel Dungeon's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ads (none vs shown). On device support there is nothing between them.

Vault Runner is free to download; Shattered Pixel Dungeon costs $4.99 up front. Vault Runner sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Shattered Pixel Dungeon asks for nothing beyond the download.

Shattered Pixel Dungeon ships an update fortnightly, Vault Runner every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shattered Pixel Dungeon | Vault Runner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.9 (4.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shattered-pixel-dungeon/id1563121109/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **4.2K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 93.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Best chart rank | **#9** | — |
| Size | 134 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Evan Debenham](https://appshunter.io/developer/1562920988) | [Randy Torres](https://appshunter.io/developer/1871953838) |

## What reviewers say

### Shattered Pixel Dungeon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shattered-pixel-dungeon/id1563121109)

**Currently charting:** #9 Top Paid · Role Playing, #20 Top Paid · Adventure, #96 Top Paid · Games, #158 Top Paid (US App Store)

Embark on a challenging roguelike dungeon crawl with six unique heroes. Explore procedurally generated levels, collect hundreds of items, and battle diverse enemies and bosses. Master unique hero mechanics and unlock powerful abilities to survive the depths.

**Highlights:** Six unique heroes with distinct playstyles, Procedurally generated dungeons and randomized enemies, Hundreds of items to collect, upgrade, and craft, Talent trees and subclass progression for heroes, Challenging bosses and optional achievements, Regular content updates

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Endless replayability
- 👍 Polished and well-designed
- 🎨 Excellent pixel art and aesthetics
- 💡 Innovative mechanics and depth
- 🕹️ Challenging yet rewarding gameplay

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤯 Extremely challenging and punishing
- 🕰️ Runs can feel too long
- 🤖 Overpowered enemy mechanics (e.g. evasion)

**Reported bugs**

- Sound effects not working on iOS
- Occasional crashes or freezes

**Requested features**

- Permadeath optional mode
- Ability to continue progress across devices
- More character classes and customization options


### Vault Runner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vault-runner/id6781543334)

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Starter Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $4.99 | one-time |
| Founder's Edition | $7.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shattered Pixel Dungeon free?

Shattered Pixel Dungeon costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Vault Runner free?

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

### Do Shattered Pixel Dungeon or Vault Runner have ads?

Vault Runner shows ads; Shattered Pixel Dungeon does not.

### Which is updated more often, Shattered Pixel Dungeon or Vault Runner?

Shattered Pixel Dungeon ships an update fortnightly, and Vault Runner every 3 months. Most recently, Shattered Pixel Dungeon was updated on October 27, 2026 and Vault Runner on October 24, 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.*