# PewPew vs Classic Marathon

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PewPew at none against Classic Marathon's 10. PewPew also leads on review sentiment (91% vs 76%) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). Classic Marathon's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (630 vs 67). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for PewPew against 4.5 for Classic Marathon. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Classic Marathon has 630 ratings behind it against 67, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 91% of PewPew's written reviews are positive against 76% of Classic Marathon's.

PewPew ships an update every 5 months, Classic Marathon every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PewPew | Classic Marathon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (67 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pewpew/id314964252/reviews)** | [4.5 (630 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/classic-marathon/id419805412/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 67 | **630** |
| Positive reviews | **91.3% of reviews** | 76.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 12 MB | 125 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Jean-Francois Geyelin](https://appshunter.io/developer/314964255) | [Dome-C Studio LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/850082459) |

## 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


### Classic Marathon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/classic-marathon/id419805412)

Relive a classic first-person shooter experience with this enhanced port. Explore 27 levels, battle alien forces, and engage in various multiplayer modes. Features include high frame rate support, HD sprites, and cross-platform multiplayer.

**Highlights:** 27 levels across six chapters, Multiplayer with up to 8 players, Exploration, puzzles, and extermination missions, Console-quality gameplay, 7 unique weapons, Cross-platform multiplayer support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| HD Mode | $0.99 | one-time |
| Master Chief Mode | $0.99 | one-time |
| Enhanced Reticules | $0.99 | one-time |
| Just a tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Not the smallest tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| A good tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| A pretty good tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| An excellent tip | $7.99 | one-time |
| The best possible tip | $12.99 | one-time |
| Better than the best tip | $20.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Faithful port of a classic game
- 🚀 Smooth gameplay and controls
- 💡 Appreciated free version with optional HD upgrade
- 🎮 Great with controller support
- 🕹 Nostalgic experience for longtime fans

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🕹 Challenging touch controls
- 🔒 Lack of customization options (e.g. invert Y-axis)
- 🔋 Drains battery quickly

**Reported bugs**

- Saves not working properly
- Weapons becoming black boxes
- Screen tinting issues
- Crashes on newer devices

**Requested features**

- Add multiplayer support
- Implement more control customization options
- Port the entire Marathon trilogy
- Provide support for custom maps and mods


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PewPew free?

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

### Is Classic Marathon free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PewPew or Classic Marathon?

PewPew is rated higher. PewPew averages 4.5 out of 5 from 67 ratings, while Classic Marathon averages 4.5 from 630 ratings.

### Do PewPew or Classic Marathon have ads?

Neither PewPew nor Classic Marathon shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PewPew or Classic Marathon?

PewPew ships an update every 5 months, and Classic Marathon every 2 months. Most recently, PewPew was updated on October 21, 2026 and Classic Marathon on October 22, 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.*