# Castle Explorer vs Xplorist

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Castle Explorer at none against Xplorist's 6. Castle Explorer also leads on iOS requirement (16.6 vs 26.0). Xplorist's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs weekly). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Xplorist sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Castle Explorer asks for nothing beyond the download.

Castle Explorer ships an update weekly, Xplorist every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Castle Explorer | Xplorist |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 2 days** |
| Size | 100 MB | 37 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.6** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [richard prandini](https://appshunter.io/developer/321162688) | [Lennart Venus](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896106587) |

## What reviewers say

### Castle Explorer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/castle-explorer/id1661162772)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Xplorist

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xplorist/id6765863853)

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| XploristNet Premium | $4.99 | per month |
| XploristNet Premium | $34.99 | per year |
| 100 XP | $0.99 | one-time |
| 500 XP | $2.99 | one-time |
| 1.000 XP | $3.99 | one-time |
| 5.000 XP | $8.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Castle Explorer free?

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

### Is Xplorist free?

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

### Do Castle Explorer or Xplorist have ads?

Neither Castle Explorer nor Xplorist shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Castle Explorer or Xplorist?

Castle Explorer ships an update weekly, and Xplorist every 2 days. Most recently, Castle Explorer was updated on October 14, 2026 and Xplorist on October 7, 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.*