# HackEm vs ArcadeBox

The clearest difference is rating: ArcadeBox at 4.5 against HackEm's 3.6. ArcadeBox also leads on price ($0.99 vs $1.99). HackEm's advantage is review sentiment (25% vs 0%). On ratings volume, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

HackEm costs $1.99 and ArcadeBox $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ArcadeBox holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 4 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 25% of HackEm's written reviews are positive against 0% of ArcadeBox's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

HackEm ships an update every 21 months, ArcadeBox every 12 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HackEm | ArcadeBox |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **$0.99** |
| Rating | [3.6 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hackem/id1667095744/reviews) | **[4.5 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcadebox/id6496372834/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **5** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **25.0% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 21 months | **Every 12 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Size | 78 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | +4 |
| Developer | [Game Dev Team](https://appshunter.io/developer/561134317) | [Gianluca Natalini](https://appshunter.io/developer/348380792) |

## 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


### ArcadeBox

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcadebox/id6496372834)

This application serves as a free emulator for GameBoy and GameBoy Color games. It supports iCade controllers and offers customizable game modes. Users can legally add their own purchased ROMs via file sharing.

**Highlights:** GameBoy and GameBoy Color emulation, iCade controller compatibility, 80s and 90s arcade style design, Color or green game mode, Supports user-added ROMs

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HackEm free?

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

### Is ArcadeBox free?

ArcadeBox costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

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

ArcadeBox is rated higher. HackEm averages 3.6 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while ArcadeBox averages 4.5 from 4 ratings.

### Do HackEm or ArcadeBox have ads?

Neither HackEm nor ArcadeBox shows ads.

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

HackEm ships an update every 21 months, and ArcadeBox every 12 months. Most recently, HackEm was updated on October 15, 2026 and ArcadeBox on October 8, 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.*