# Highwater vs Snake Bytes

Highwater and Snake Bytes are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

Both are free to download. Highwater sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $19.99 per month and Snake Bytes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Highwater ships an update every 2 months, Snake Bytes every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Highwater | Snake Bytes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (498 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/highwater/id1634668889/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **498** | — |
| Positive reviews | 55.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 2.1 GB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Netflix, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/363590054) | [Albert Cox](https://appshunter.io/developer/1878753780) |

## What reviewers say

### Highwater

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/highwater/id1634668889)

Embark on a post-apocalyptic journey across a flooded Earth. Explore islands, recruit allies, and battle insurgents in a race against time to escape the planet. This story-driven adventure offers a unique blend of exploration and strategic combat.

**Highlights:** Story-driven 3D adventure, Explore urban islands, Turn-based combat with puzzle elements, Memorable characters, Original soundtrack

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Netflix Standard Plan | $19.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Excellent artwork and visual design
- 🎵 Outstanding soundtrack and radio feature
- 📖 Compelling and emotional story
- ⚔️ Fun and strategic turn-based combat
- 🎮 Engaging gameplay mechanics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezing issues
- 💾 Save/load functionality problems
- 🎵 Music on radio not customizable via settings
- ⚔️ Combat difficulty spikes and balance issues
- 🎁 Limited loot variety in exploration

**Reported bugs**

- Audio issues on fresh app launch
- Game freezing at specific story points (Alphaville)
- Save file corruption and chapter loading failures
- Character stuck in train yard after loading
- Boat getting stuck/beached on non-interactive islands

**Requested features**

- Music volume control separate from radio dialogue
- Ability to pick up and equip enemy weapons
- Boat upgrade system
- Toggle for auto-play dialogue
- Better tutorial or difficulty adjustment for early game


### Snake Bytes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/snake-bytes/id6759832387)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock All Snake Skins | $0.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Highwater free?

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

### Is Snake Bytes free?

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

### Do Highwater or Snake Bytes have ads?

Neither Highwater nor Snake Bytes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Highwater or Snake Bytes?

Highwater ships an update every 2 months, and Snake Bytes every 3 months. Most recently, Highwater was updated on October 11, 2026 and Snake Bytes on October 7, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*