# PewPew vs Pac.io

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.

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

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | PewPew | Pac.io |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (67 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pewpew/id314964252/reviews)** | [4.2 (297 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pacio/id1274026778/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 67 | **297** |
| Positive reviews | **91.3% of reviews** | 53.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 12 MB | 139 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Jean-Francois Geyelin](https://appshunter.io/developer/314964255) | [Nomadic Bear Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/1188304416) |

## What reviewers say

### PewPew

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pewpew/id314964252)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- High score data loss after updates
- Unresponsive controls on certain devices

**Requested features**

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


### Pac.io

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pacio/id1274026778)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Coin Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Medium Coin Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Magnet | $4.99 | one-time |
| Thunder | $4.99 | one-time |
| Sword | $4.99 | one-time |
| Big Coin Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| No Ads | $9.99 | one-time |
| Large Coin Pack | $19.99 | one-time |
| Huge Coin Pack | $49.99 | one-time |
| Massive Coin Pack | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📺 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

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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


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