# Crush the Castle vs Dead Zed

The clearest difference is price: Dead Zed at Free against Crush the Castle's $0.99. Dead Zed also leads on rating (4.6 vs 3.7) and ratings volume (3.6K vs 177). Crush the Castle's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 11) and ads (none vs shown). On review sentiment, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Dead Zed is free to download; Crush the Castle costs $0.99 up front. Dead Zed sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. Crush the Castle asks for nothing beyond the download.

Dead Zed holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dead Zed has 3.6K ratings behind it against 177, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 74% of Crush the Castle's written reviews are positive against 71% of Dead Zed's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Crush the Castle ships an update every 4 months, Dead Zed every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Crush the Castle | Dead Zed |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.7 (177 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crush-the-castle/id318639200/reviews) | **[4.6 (3.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dead-zed/id1354745865/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 177 | **3.6K** |
| Positive reviews | **73.7% of reviews** | 70.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#33** | — |
| Size | 43 MB | 385 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Armor Games Studios Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1692616430) | [Not Doppler](https://appshunter.io/developer/554937502) |

## What reviewers say

### Crush the Castle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crush-the-castle/id318639200)

**Currently charting:** #33 Top Paid · Adventure, #49 Top Paid · Strategy, #149 Top Paid · Games (US App Store)

Launch projectiles from a trebuchet to destroy castles and their inhabitants. Aim for glory by shattering intricately balanced structures and flattening armies. Offers over 100 levels, unlockable skins, and a variety of ammo types for medieval destruction fun.

**Highlights:** Physics-based destruction, Trebuchet launching, Over 100 levels, Unlockable skins, Level editor, Diverse ammo types

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Addictive gameplay
- 👍 Realistic physics
- 🚀 Fun and challenging
- 👍 Great graphics
- 👍 Enjoyable time-passer

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes
- 🔇 No volume control
- 🕹️ Clunky controls
- 🤏 Small restart button
- 🤏 Difficult to aim precisely

**Reported bugs**

- Incompatibility with newer devices
- Glitches in later levels
- Weapons not functioning as expected

**Requested features**

- More levels and worlds
- Additional weapons and ammo types
- Ability to share custom-built castles
- Difficulty settings
- Mute/volume control option


### Dead Zed

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dead-zed/id1354745865)

Defend your base against relentless zombie hordes in this action-packed shooter. Unlock and upgrade a variety of weapons, from handguns to sniper rifles, to build your ultimate arsenal. Progress through diverse, increasingly dangerous locations as you fight for survival.

**Highlights:** Zombie shooting gameplay, Base defense mechanics, Weapon unlocking and upgrades, Multiple weapon types, Progression through new locations, Horde survival challenges

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Coinz Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack Offer | $2.99 | one-time |
| Medium Coinz Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Medium Gold Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack Offer | $4.99 | one-time |
| Limited Time Offer | $4.99 | one-time |
| Large Coinz Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Large Gold Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Limited Time Offer | $9.99 | one-time |
| Ultimate Coinz Pack | $19.99 | one-time |
| Ultimate Gold Pack | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great gameplay
- 👍 Nostalgic and fun
- 🚀 Smooth controls
- 👍 Good graphics
- 🚀 Lots of guns and upgrades

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔋 Repetitive gameplay
- 💰 Monetization issues (too many ads, expensive in-app purchases)
- 🔒 Lack of features from previous versions (survivors, looting, etc.)

**Reported bugs**

- Freezing issues with ads
- Weapon accuracy and damage inconsistencies
- Progression halted at certain levels

**Requested features**

- More levels and content updates
- Weapon customization options
- Multiplayer mode
- Improved survivor/base management system
- Ability to spend accumulated credits


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Crush the Castle free?

Crush the Castle costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Dead Zed free?

Dead Zed is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Crush the Castle or Dead Zed?

Dead Zed is rated higher. Crush the Castle averages 3.7 out of 5 from 177 ratings, while Dead Zed averages 4.6 from 3.6K ratings.

### Do Crush the Castle or Dead Zed have ads?

Dead Zed shows ads; Crush the Castle does not.

### Which is updated more often, Crush the Castle or Dead Zed?

Crush the Castle ships an update every 4 months, and Dead Zed every 3 months. Most recently, Crush the Castle was updated on October 31, 2026 and Dead Zed on October 29, 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.*