# TMHelper vs X

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: X at none against TMHelper's 6. X also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 10 months) and ratings volume (87 vs 2). On price, rating, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. TMHelper sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. X asks for nothing beyond the download.

X holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: X has 87 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of TMHelper's written reviews are positive against 86% of X's.

TMHelper ships an update every 10 months, X every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | TMHelper | X |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tmhelper/id1627456078/reviews) | **[4.7 (87 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/x-haven-assistant/id1639494414/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **87** |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | **86.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 10 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 6 MB | 100 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Mike Mailyan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1547807750) | [Hans Moeller](https://appshunter.io/developer/1639494416) |

## What reviewers say

### 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 |


### X

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/x-haven-assistant/id1639494414)

This app serves as an unofficial assistant for popular board games like Gloomhaven and Frosthaven. It aims to provide a seamless user experience by consolidating most functionalities onto a single screen, minimizing the need for user input during gameplay.

**Highlights:** Unofficial helper for Gloomhaven family games, Replaces unavailable Gloomhaven Helper, Focus on user experience, Single-screen functionality, Minimizes user input

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Streamlines setup and teardown
- 👍 Greatly improves gameplay experience
- 💡 Automates busywork and tracking
- ✅ Eliminates table clutter
- 🆓 Free and valuable resource

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔋 Drains phone battery quickly
- 🔥 Makes phone heat up
- 🐛 Connection issues and instability
- 🐛 Networking code is problematic
- 🐛 Manual status removal required

**Reported bugs**

- Solo button not working
- Menu keeps opening on iPad mini
- Enemy attack cards re-appearing frequently
- Connection issues make app worthless
- Networking code is bad

**Requested features**

- Indicate when turn is over
- Automatically remove expired statuses
- Allow dragging to alter initiative order
- Make decks larger and easier to distinguish
- Undo for accidentally ending a round


## Frequently asked questions

### Is TMHelper free?

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

### Is X free?

X is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

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

X is rated higher. TMHelper averages 4.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while X averages 4.7 from 87 ratings.

### Do TMHelper or X have ads?

Neither TMHelper nor X shows ads.

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

TMHelper ships an update every 10 months, and X every 3 weeks. Most recently, TMHelper was updated on October 17, 2026 and X 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.*