# Shadow Knights vs EF Defense

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.

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.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Shadow Knights | EF Defense |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (830 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadow-knights-idle-rpg/id1589406192/reviews)** | [4.3 (57 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ef-defense/id1605733721/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **830** | 57 |
| Positive reviews | **40.0% of reviews** | 34.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 167 MB | 237 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [cookapps](https://appshunter.io/developer/626650864) | [MANA GAME FACTORY PTE. LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1605733723) |

## What reviewers say

### Shadow Knights

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadow-knights-idle-rpg/id1589406192)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (14)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| daily package | $0.99 | one-time |
| Stage 100 Clear | $2.99 | one-time |
| Player Level 20 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Hero Shadow Level 100 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| No Ads (Passive Effect) | $7.99 | one-time |
| Tower of Trial Stage 10 | $7.99 | one-time |
| Basic Package | $8.99 | one-time |
| Shadow Pack | $14.99 | one-time |
| 43,200 Gems | $19.99 | one-time |
| VIP pass | $19.99 | one-time |
| Auto Chest | $24.99 | one-time |
| Guardian Spirit Pack | $28.99 | one-time |
| 240,000 Gems | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and engaging gameplay
- 🚀 Unique concept and twist on the idle genre
- 💡 Great graphics and animations

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Game crashes or fails to load after initial play
- 🐛 Offline progression issues, not properly credited
- 🐛 In-app purchases not working as intended
- 🔇 Lack of moderation in chat leading to toxic environment

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ef-defense/id1605733721)

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

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| EF Pack 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Defense Pack 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| EF Pack 2 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Defense Pack 3 | $2.99 | one-time |
| EF Pack 3 | $2.99 | one-time |
| EF Pack 4 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Defense Pack 4 | $4.99 | one-time |
| EF Pack 5 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Defense Pack 5 | $9.99 | one-time |
| EF Pack 7 | $19.99 | one-time |
| Defense Pack 9 | $29.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked 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.

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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.*