# Dune vs TMHelper

The clearest difference is price: TMHelper at Free against Dune's $10.99. Dune's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 10 months) and rating (4.9 vs 4.5). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

TMHelper is free to download; Dune costs $10.99 up front. Dune sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and TMHelper sells 6 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 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dune has 5K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of Dune's written reviews are positive against 67% of TMHelper's.

Dune ships an update every 5 days, TMHelper every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dune | TMHelper |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $10.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.9 (5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dune-imperium/id1575414319/reviews)** | [4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tmhelper/id1627456078/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **79.0% of reviews** | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 10 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#18** | — |
| Size | 804 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dire Wolf Digital](https://appshunter.io/developer/815343758) | [Mike Mailyan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1547807750) |

## What reviewers say

### Dune

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

**Currently charting:** #18 Top Paid · Board, #54 Top Paid · Strategy, #165 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


### TMHelper

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tmhelper/id1627456078)

A companion app for Terraforming Mars and its Ares Expedition expansion. It allows players to easily track global parameters, manage player boards, and keep score for up to five players. Designed for quick, touch-friendly adjustments.

**Highlights:** Track global parameters (oxygen, temperature, oceans), Manage player boards with production/resource controls, Keep Terraforming Rating and player scores, Dedicated Ares Expedition mode, Smart, touch-first controls

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| TMHelper 7-day Free Trial | Free | one-time |
| Mars | $0.99 | one-time |
| Earth | $1.99 | one-time |
| Saturn | $2.99 | one-time |
| Jupiter | $3.99 | one-time |
| TMHelper Lifetime | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Dune free?

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

### Is TMHelper free?

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

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

Dune is rated higher. Dune averages 4.9 out of 5 from 5K ratings, while TMHelper averages 4.5 from 2 ratings.

### Do Dune or TMHelper have ads?

Neither Dune nor TMHelper shows ads.

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

Dune ships an update every 5 days, and TMHelper every 10 months. Most recently, Dune was updated on October 29, 2026 and TMHelper on October 17, 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.*