# HackEm vs Romopolis

The clearest difference is rating: Romopolis at 4.3 against HackEm's 3.6. Romopolis also leads on chart position (#185 vs unranked) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 4 months). HackEm's advantage is review sentiment (25% vs 0%) and price ($1.99 vs $3.99). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

HackEm costs $1.99 and Romopolis $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Romopolis holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 3 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 25% of HackEm's written reviews are positive against 0% of Romopolis's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

HackEm ships an update every 4 months, Romopolis every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on August 12, 2026 and August 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HackEm | Romopolis |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$1.99** | $3.99 |
| Rating | [3.6 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hackem/id1667095744/reviews) | **[4.3 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/romopolis/id6449455772/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **5** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | **25.0% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#185** |
| Size | 65 MB | 189 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Game Dev Team](https://appshunter.io/developer/561134317) | [Lonely Troops](https://appshunter.io/developer/1688214061) |

## What reviewers say

### HackEm

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hackem/id1667095744)

Engage in a unique blend of real-time strategy and tower defense as a hacker seeking revenge. Build a base to extract data and defend against security drones and autobots on randomly generated maps. Upgrade weapons and equipment with earned credits.

**Highlights:** Real-time strategy and tower defense mix, Diverse enemies with unique mechanics, Randomly generated maps, Extensive weapon and equipment upgrades, Intuitive controls, No ads or in-app purchases

**In-app purchases:** none


### Romopolis

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/romopolis/id6449455772)

**Currently charting:** #185 Top Paid · Casual (US App Store)

Construct and manage an idyllic ancient Roman city, providing services to happy residents. Earn money, fame, and honor through a comprehensive campaign or custom scenarios. Enjoy a classic time management simulation with trophies and awards.

**Highlights:** Construct ancient Roman cities, Provide services to residents, Comprehensive campaign mode, Custom scenario creation, Earn money, fame, and honor, Win trophies and awards

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HackEm free?

HackEm costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Romopolis free?

Romopolis costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, HackEm or Romopolis?

Romopolis is rated higher. HackEm averages 3.6 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Romopolis averages 4.3 from 3 ratings.

### Do HackEm or Romopolis have ads?

Neither HackEm nor Romopolis shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, HackEm or Romopolis?

HackEm ships an update every 4 months, and Romopolis every 2 months. Most recently, HackEm was updated on August 12, 2026 and Romopolis on August 20, 2026.

---

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