# DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS vs Ex Astris

The clearest difference is price: Ex Astris at $9.99 against DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS's $27.99. Ex Astris also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 5) and chart position (#108 vs unranked). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS costs $27.99 and Ex Astris $9.99 up front. DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Ex Astris asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS against 4.4 for Ex Astris. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 164 and 267 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 66% and 66% positive.

DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS ships an update fortnightly, Ex Astris every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS | Ex Astris |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $27.99 | **$9.99** |
| Rating | **[4.5 (164 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dragon-quest-builders/id1601194499/reviews)** | [4.4 (267 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ex-astris/id6470642337/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 164 | **267** |
| Positive reviews | 65.7% of reviews | **66.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#108** |
| Size | 639 MB | 3.7 GB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [SQUARE ENIX](https://appshunter.io/developer/300186801) | [GRYPH FRONTIER PTE.LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1701568466) |

## What reviewers say

### DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dragon-quest-builders/id1601194499)

Embark on an epic adventure in a block-based world to defeat the Dragonlord. Gather resources, craft items, and build anything from simple structures to entire towns to restore the realm. Engage in action-packed combat against familiar monsters and share your creations with friends.

**Highlights:** Explore a vast block world, Gather and craft items, Build structures and towns, Battle monsters, Specialized mobile controls, Share creations with friends

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| New Content! Magic Carpet | $2.99 | one-time |
| New Content! Astronomy Set | $2.99 | one-time |
| Boss Monster Model Set | $2.99 | one-time |
| New Content! Pixel Ring | $2.99 | one-time |
| All-in-One Pack | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great port quality
- 👍 Fun and engaging gameplay
- 👍 Good story and RPG elements
- 👍 Intuitive touch controls (for some)
- 👍 Well-optimized for mobile

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🎮 No controller support
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🔥 Device overheating
- 🕹️ Clunky/unplayable touch controls (for many)
- 📱 UI offset on larger iPads

**Reported bugs**

- Controller support partially implemented (left stick only)
- Game freezes/crashes
- Challenges not reflecting completion
- Camera zooms unexpectedly in caves
- NPCs behaving erratically (walking on walls, jumping)

**Requested features**

- Add controller support
- Add cloud save sync
- Allow UI customization (button placement, size)
- Add option for free-form joystick
- Improve optimization for better battery life and performance


### Ex Astris

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ex-astris/id6470642337)

**Currently charting:** #108 Top Paid · Role Playing, #190 Top Paid · Adventure (US App Store)

Embark on an interstellar adventure as an investigator on a tidally locked planet. Explore diverse landscapes, engage in strategic turn-based combat with a unique maneuver system, and uncover the planet's mysteries with a team of companions.

**Highlights:** 3D Sci-Fi Adventure RPG, Semi-real-time, turn-based combat, Innovative Obscuran Maneuver system, World exploration on a tidally locked planet, Assemble and empower a team of companions, Crafting and puzzle-solving

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Seamless combat system
- 🎨 Breathtaking graphics and art style
- 💰 Great value for a one-time purchase
- 🌟 Captivating story and world-building
- 🎮 Engaging turn-based gameplay

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔇 Inconsistent audio/sound issues
- 📜 Unclear story and lore explanations
- 🕹️ Lack of controller support
- 🌐 Requires internet connection to play
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches

**Reported bugs**

- Game freezes at startup for some users
- Second fight cannot be progressed through
- Ziplines outside trade center are bugged
- Dialogue text pacing issues

**Requested features**

- Add controller support
- Improve story explanations and lore
- Implement offline play mode
- Add English voice-over option
- Provide more in-depth tutorial for combat


## Frequently asked questions

### Is DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS free?

DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS costs $27.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Ex Astris free?

Ex Astris costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS or Ex Astris?

DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS is rated higher. DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS averages 4.5 out of 5 from 164 ratings, while Ex Astris averages 4.4 from 267 ratings.

### Do DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS or Ex Astris have ads?

Neither DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS nor Ex Astris shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS or Ex Astris?

DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS ships an update fortnightly, and Ex Astris every 3 weeks. Most recently, DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS was updated on October 31, 2026 and Ex Astris on October 30, 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.*