Comparison

PewPew vs Pac.io

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

PewPew

Experience intense, retro-style multidirectional shooting with massive enemy counts and a high frame rate. Choose from five distinct game modes, including Pandemonium, Dodge This, Assault, Chromatic Conflict, and Asteroids. Compete on online leaderboards and unlock new ships.

Highlights
  • Multidirectional shooting
  • Retro graphics
  • High frame rate
  • Five game modes
  • Online leaderboards
  • Unlockable ships
  • Game controller support
Features
Read full description

PewPew is a multidirectional shoot them up akin to Geometry Wars. Expect retro graphics, megatons of enemies, and a frame rate rarely achieved by other games. On the other hand, don't expect a story: this game is for serious gamers. There are FIVE different game modes: • Pandemonium: Some enemies explode when they die, and the other spin maniacally everywhere. Hide from the explosions or deftly go through them. • Dodge this: As you collect boxes, there are more and more enemies moving around. Naturally, you have to dodge them all. • Assault: You fight against waves of enemies. Spoiler: at the end, they win and you die. • Chromatic Conflict (NSF color blinds): Enemies of different color appear. You can only destroy the ones that are the same color as your ship. • Asteroids: Need I say more? Features: ⁂ High frame-rate (honestly, this is what defines this game) ⁂ Finely tuned game-play (oh, and this too) ⁂ Online leader boards ⁂ Online replays ⁂ Some sweet music ⁂ Unlockable ships ⁂ Support Game Controller ⁂ No ads, no analytics. nada.

About

Pac.io

Engage in an addictive grid-battle by swiping to outsmart opponents and dominate the arena. Utilize a variety of power-ups and unlock unique skins to enhance your gameplay and rise through the ranks. Enjoy endless fun offline or online with intuitive controls.

Highlights
  • Swipe controls for movement
  • Strategic power-ups
  • Unlockable skins
  • Offline and online play
  • Intuitive gameplay
Features
Read full description

Pac.io – Swipe, Power Up, and Dominate the Grid! Dive into the ultimate io grid-battle! Swipe in four directions, outsmart your opponents, and become the King of the grid. Every move counts—strategize, dodge, and strike to stay on top! Unleash Epic Power-Ups Turn the tide of battle with incredible power-ups: Bomb, Ghost, 5x Multiplier, Magnet, Sword, Thunder, Freeze, Laser, and Speed Up. Eat bigger players, escape tricky situations, and crush your enemies with style. Use them wisely—power waits for no one! Unlock Legendary Skins Show off your legendary skins as you rise through the ranks. Each skin makes you look epic and adds extra flair while you dominate the battlefield. Game Highlights • Play anywhere—offline or online, anytime. • Smooth, intuitive swipe controls for lightning-fast moves. • Easy to learn, impossible to put down. • FREE to play with endless battles, power-ups, and epic fun! Swipe, power up, and conquer—become the ultimate legend in Pac.io!

Screenshots

PewPew4 screens
Pac.io4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PewPew at 91% against Pac.io's 54%. PewPew also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ads (none vs shown). Pac.io's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (297 vs 67). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Pac.io sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. PewPew asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

PewPew holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 67 and 297 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 91% of PewPew's written reviews are positive against 54% of Pac.io's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PewPew ships an update every 5 months, Pac.io fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 16, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
PewPew versus Pac.io: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPewPewPac.io
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (67 ratings) — better4.2 (297 ratings)
Positive reviews91.3% of reviews — better53.9% of reviews
Number of ratings67297 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size12 MB139 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperJean-Francois GeyelinNomadic Bear Games

Customer experience

PewPew

All ratings67 ratings
Positive86.6%
Neutral7.5%
Negative6.0%
Written reviews289 reviews
Positive91.3%
Neutral5.5%
Negative3.1%

Pac.io

All ratings297 ratings
Positive78.5%
Neutral4.7%
Negative16.8%
Written reviews89 reviews
Positive53.9%
Neutral10.1%
Negative36.0%

User reviews

PewPew

From 67 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Smooth gameplay
  • 👍 Challenging and addictive
  • 🎮 Great retro-style controls
  • 💯 Excellent value (free app)

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes or performance issues
  • 🔊 Limited sound effects
  • 📱 Screen size/orientation issues on some devices

Pac.io

From 297 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 😍 Highly addictive and engaging gameplay
  • 🎮 Fun Pac-Man inspired mechanics
  • 👥 Real multiplayer players (not just bots)
  • ⚡ Fast-paced and entertaining
  • 🏆 Leaderboard and competitive features

Room to improve

  • 📺 Excessive ads throughout gameplay
  • ⚠️ Ads interrupt and crash the game
  • 😤 Unfair difficulty and instant death
  • 🎮 Sliding controls instead of D-pad/joystick
  • 🤖 Questionable AI behavior and cheating

Bugs and requests

PewPew

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • High score data loss after updates
  • Unresponsive controls on certain devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • More game modes and enemy types
  • Multiplayer support
  • Ability to disable background music
  • Offline/campaign mode

Pac.io

Reported bugs

7 issues
  • Ads crash game at end of video
  • Game freezes after ad completion
  • Pink screen ad that cannot be closed
  • Instant death upon spawning
  • Players getting stuck behind walls
Show 2 more
  • Power pellet duration inconsistencies
  • Game glitching and crashing frequently

Requested features

9 requests
  • Arrow buttons or D-pad controls instead of sliding
  • Ad-free premium version for purchase
  • Ability to disable ads with WiFi off
  • Friend list and private room creation
  • Real player names instead of randomized ones
Show 4 more
  • Grace period or invincibility after spawn
  • Sound effects and audio
  • New items, levels, and game updates
  • Revert to original 2024 version

In-app purchases

None

PewPew

No in-app purchases

10 purchases

Pac.io

One-time10
  • Small Coin Pack$0.99
  • Medium Coin Pack$4.99
  • Magnet$4.99
Show 7 more
  • Thunder$4.99
  • Sword$4.99
  • Big Coin Pack$9.99
  • No Ads$9.99
  • Large Coin Pack$19.99
  • Huge Coin Pack$49.99
  • Massive Coin Pack$99.99

Questions

Is PewPew free?
PewPew is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pac.io free?
Pac.io is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, PewPew or Pac.io?
PewPew is rated higher. PewPew averages 4.5 out of 5 from 67 ratings, while Pac.io averages 4.2 from 297 ratings.
Do PewPew or Pac.io have ads?
Pac.io shows ads; PewPew does not.
Which is updated more often, PewPew or Pac.io?
PewPew ships an update every 5 months, and Pac.io fortnightly. Most recently, PewPew was updated on September 16, 2026 and Pac.io on September 21, 2026.

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