Comparison

Shadow Knights vs EF Defense

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Shadow Knights

Lead a shadow corps in this idle RPG. Resurrect fallen enemies to become your own shadow soldiers and grow infinitely stronger. Enjoy strategic battles and endless dungeons with simple, one-finger controls.

Highlights
  • Idle RPG gameplay
  • Resurrect enemies as shadow soldiers
  • Large-scale corps battles
  • Infinite dungeon exploration
  • Strategic unit deployment
  • Collect shadow soldiers and artifacts
Features
Read full description

-Game Introduction Enjoy a large-scale corps battle led by the shadow lord in an idle RPG game! No matter how strong the enemy, resurrect it as your own shadow soldier and become infinitely stronger! -If you kill yesterday's enemy with today's ally, you can make your own shadow soldier! Defeat the enemy with dozens of shadow corps! -Idle game dominated by one finger A must-have game for busy and busy modern people! Idle type system that gets stronger by itself! You can become the best protagonist in fantasy easier and faster than others. -Various contents If you acquire a shadow soldier, you can enter all dungeons together indefinitely! Subdue the evil dragon dungeon and go on an adventure to the tower of endless trials! -The best bout of my life with a combination of individuality, collect numerous shadow soldiers and artifacts, and deploy your corps with your own strategy! Dozens of strategic plays are possible depending on the faction and skill combination!

About

EF Defense

Defend the continent of Akaros by rallying unique heroes and powerful protectors. Engage in diverse combat styles beyond traditional defense, including conquest and arena battles, against a variety of challenging enemies.

Highlights
  • Unique heroes from various tribes
  • Diverse battlefields with specialized traps
  • Powerful Protectors with game-changing skills
  • Multiple combat modes: Frontier, Arena, Grand Arena, Tower of Trials
  • Variety of unique enemy types and attack patterns
Read full description

The Darkness surges upon the continent of Akaros, the land of abundance. Rally the Heroes of various tribes and form a strong defense for the showdown! 1. Unique Heroes of various tribes Heroes of varying tribes have gathered to defend the Akaros continent! Train unique and powerful Heroes to unlock their hidden abilities! 2. Diverse battlefields and powerful, specialized traps Leave behind the simple, boring backgrounds and collect growing maps that assist you in protecting the kingdom! A monster from beyond the ice wall will roar, and terrorize enemies and the arm of a god will appear through a portal to push enemies away, aiding you in your fight! 3. Protectors that protect the battlefield with powerful skills! Despite their cuteness, Protectors aren’t just the mascots, but possess the power to turn the tide of a battle! Collect Protectors that hatch from tiny eggs, take control of the battlefield, and protect their allies! 4. This isn’t just about Defense! Ditch the traditional model of just blocking for defense and experience all sorts of different styles of combat! The Frontier, to conquest the enemy bases beyond the defense that only protects the kingdom! The Arena, to win the honorable combat against powerful opponents for the position of the strongest! The Grand Arena, to fight across three different battlefields to claim victory! The Tower of Trials, to climb floor by floor, defeating the guardians of each stage! 5. A variety of unique enemies! Enemies, that only walk or fly from one side to the other? Too easy! [Frog Defense], where you face off against enemies that fall from the sky and skip floors. [Goblin Defense], where enemies appear on random floors through portals. [Ghost Elimination], where you face off against enemies that attack both the earth and the air. ■ Customer Support - You can receive more detailed guide by indicating your ID when sending us the inquiry. - The basic information are indicated automatically in the inquiry mail if sent via 1:1 Inquiry menu in Game Setting screen. - Customer Support: cs@managf.com - Official Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/efdefenseglobal/ ■ Note - By downloading or installing this app, you are considered to have agreed to the terms and conditions of Mana Game Factory. (Terms of Use & Privacy Policy: http://policy.managf.com/policy.html) - This game contains in-app purchases of items to help you with the game. - In-app purchases can be restricted through your device settings. For more information, please visit https://support.apple.com/ko-kr/HT204030.

Screenshots

Shadow Knights4 screens
EF Defense4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Shadow Knights at none against EF Defense's shown. Shadow Knights also leads on ratings volume (830 vs 57). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Shadow Knights sells 14 one-off in-app purchases and EF Defense sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Shadow Knights against 4.3 for EF Defense. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shadow Knights has 830 ratings behind it against 57, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 40% of Shadow Knights's written reviews are positive against 34% of EF Defense's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Shadow Knights ships an update every 2 weeks, EF Defense every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 22, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Shadow Knights versus EF Defense: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShadow KnightsEF Defense
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (830 ratings) — better4.3 (57 ratings)
Positive reviews40.0% of reviews — better34.1% of reviews
Number of ratings830 — better57
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.013.0
Further details — not scored
Size167 MB237 MB
Age rating4+12+
DevelopercookappsMANA GAME FACTORY PTE. LTD.

Customer experience

Shadow Knights

All ratings828 ratings
Positive87.3%
Neutral4.0%
Negative8.7%
Written reviews320 reviews
Positive40.0%
Neutral11.6%
Negative48.4%

EF Defense

All ratings58 ratings
Positive81.0%
Neutral5.2%
Negative13.8%
Written reviews82 reviews
Positive34.1%
Neutral6.1%
Negative59.8%

Bugs and requests

Shadow Knights

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Game crashes or freezes on startup after initial play
  • In-app purchases not delivering promised items
  • Offline progression not properly credited to player's account

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add guild/clan features
  • Improve offline progression and idle rewards
  • Implement better chat moderation and multiple channels
  • Add more customization options for the main character

EF Defense

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

14 purchases

Shadow Knights

One-time14
  • daily package$0.99
  • Stage 100 Clear$2.99
  • Player Level 20$2.99
Show 11 more
  • Hero Shadow Level 100$4.99
  • Starter Pack$4.99
  • No Ads (Passive Effect)$7.99
  • Tower of Trial Stage 10$7.99
  • Basic Package$8.99
  • Shadow Pack$14.99
  • 43,200 Gems$19.99
  • VIP pass$19.99
  • Auto Chest$24.99
  • Guardian Spirit Pack$28.99
  • 240,000 Gems$99.99
11 purchases

EF Defense

One-time11
  • EF Pack 1$0.99
  • Defense Pack 1$0.99
  • EF Pack 2$1.99
Show 8 more
  • Defense Pack 3$2.99
  • EF Pack 3$2.99
  • EF Pack 4$4.99
  • Defense Pack 4$4.99
  • EF Pack 5$9.99
  • Defense Pack 5$9.99
  • EF Pack 7$19.99
  • Defense Pack 9$29.99

Questions

Is Shadow Knights free?
Shadow Knights is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is EF Defense free?
EF Defense is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Shadow Knights or EF Defense?
Shadow Knights is rated higher. Shadow Knights averages 4.4 out of 5 from 830 ratings, while EF Defense averages 4.3 from 57 ratings.
Do Shadow Knights or EF Defense have ads?
EF Defense shows ads; Shadow Knights does not.
Which is updated more often, Shadow Knights or EF Defense?
Shadow Knights ships an update every 2 weeks, and EF Defense every 3 weeks. Most recently, Shadow Knights was updated on October 22, 2026 and EF Defense on October 22, 2026.

Other comparisons