# Alien vs ARK

The clearest difference is ads: Alien at none against ARK's shown. Alien also leads on review sentiment (80% vs 45%) and iOS requirement (16.5 vs 18.0). ARK's advantage is ratings volume (14K vs 1.3K). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Alien sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and ARK sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Alien against 4.4 for ARK. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ARK has 14K ratings behind it against 1.3K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of Alien's written reviews are positive against 45% of ARK's.

Alien ships an update every 2 months, ARK monthly. Both last shipped on September 26, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Alien | ARK |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alien-isolation/id1573029040/reviews)** | [4.4 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ark-ultimate-mobile-edition/id6639622324/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1.3K | **14K** |
| Positive reviews | **79.7% of reviews** | 45.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #194 | **#105** |
| Size | 1.9 GB | 3.5 GB |
| Requires iOS | **16.5** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Feral Interactive Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/402470125) | [Studio Wildcard](https://appshunter.io/developer/1280480537) |

## What reviewers say

### Alien

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alien-isolation/id1573029040)

**Currently charting:** #194 Top Free · Adventure (US App Store)

Embark on a terrifying quest for survival aboard a space station. Unprepared and underequipped, you must use your wits and courage to escape an unknown menace. Experience a faithful mobile replication of the classic survival horror game, complete with AAA visuals and an arresting narrative.

**Highlights:** Survival horror gameplay, Stealth and evasion mechanics, Resource scavenging and crafting, Touchscreen controls with customization, Gamepad and mouse/keyboard support, Faithful mobile replication of AAA visuals, Includes all DLC content

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Game Unlock | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent port with great performance
- 👍 Impressive graphics and visuals
- 🎮 Smooth controls and controller support
- 🎬 Captures the Alien franchise atmosphere well
- 🕹️ Immersive gameplay experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔋 Device overheating and battery drain issues
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🕹️ Touchscreen controls not ideal for certain gameplay elements
- 🕰️ Long loading times and unskippable intro

**Reported bugs**

- Certain puzzles/objectives not triggering correctly
- Sound issues like audio cutting out
- Compatibility problems with older devices

**Requested features**

- Add more graphics/performance options
- Improve auto-save and checkpoint system
- Implement Magic Keyboard support
- Include Chinese language support


### ARK

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ark-ultimate-mobile-edition/id6639622324)

**Currently charting:** #105 Top Free · Adventure, #184 Top Grossing · Adventure (US App Store)

Explore vast, savage lands filled with primeval creatures. Tame and ride dinosaurs, team up with others for tribal battles, and embark on an epic adventure. Conquer diverse environments and discover hundreds of unique species.

**Highlights:** Tame and ride primeval creatures, Explore savage lands and diverse environments, Team up for epic tribal battles, Access five huge expansion packs, Discover hundreds of unique species, Conquer boss challenges

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ARK Pass - Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| ARK Pass - Annual | $49.99 | per year |
| 100 Keys | $0.99 | one-time |
| Ragnarok | $2.99 | one-time |
| 500 Keys | $3.99 | one-time |
| Scorched Earth | $5.99 | one-time |
| Aberration | $5.99 | one-time |
| Extinction | $5.99 | one-time |
| 1500 Keys | $9.99 | one-time |
| God Console | $17.99 | one-time |
| 5000 Keys | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Impressive graphics and animations
- 🌐 All maps and content included
- 👍 Smooth gameplay and controls
- 🕹️ Faithful to the PC/console experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🤖 Hackers and cheaters in multiplayer
- 💰 Paid features and content locked behind paywall

**Reported bugs**

- Saving and progress loss issues
- Inventory and taming bugs
- Rendering and collision detection problems
- Unstable server connections

**Requested features**

- Customizable UI and controls
- Offline/local multiplayer mode
- More graphics and performance options
- Ability to adjust difficulty settings in singleplayer


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Alien free?

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

### Is ARK free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Alien or ARK?

Alien is rated higher. Alien averages 4.5 out of 5 from 1.3K ratings, while ARK averages 4.4 from 14K ratings.

### Do Alien or ARK have ads?

ARK shows ads; Alien does not.

### Which is updated more often, Alien or ARK?

Alien ships an update every 2 months, and ARK monthly. Most recently, Alien was updated on September 26, 2026 and ARK on September 26, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Alien or ARK?

Alien currently peaks at #194 in the App Store charts, and ARK at #105. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*