# Monster Dash vs Ancient Tails

The clearest difference is price: Monster Dash at Free against Ancient Tails's $1.99. Monster Dash also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 7 months). Ancient Tails's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 62%) and in-app purchases (none vs 19). On ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Monster Dash is free to download; Ancient Tails costs $1.99 up front. Monster Dash sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Ancient Tails asks for nothing beyond the download.

Monster Dash ships an update every 3 weeks, Ancient Tails every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Monster Dash | Ancient Tails |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $1.99 |
| Rating | **[4.4 (2.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monster-dash/id370070561/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **2.1K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 61.8% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 7 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Paid** |
| Size | 127 MB | 116 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Halfbrick](https://appshunter.io/developer/356994313) | [Richard Bannister](https://appshunter.io/developer/1389985539) |

## What reviewers say

### Monster Dash

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monster-dash/id370070561)

Embark on an action-packed adventure running and gunning through monster hordes. Master simple controls to blast enemies with powerful weapons across diverse worlds. Discover hidden awards and enjoy uninterrupted gameplay.

**Highlights:** Run and gun gameplay, Powerful weapons, Diverse worlds, Unique enemies, Hidden awards, Simple controls

**In-app purchases (17)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Halfbrick+ | $2.99 | per month |
| Halfbrick+ (Trial) | $2.99 | per month |
| Halfbrick+ (Early Adopter) | $2.99 | per month |
| Halfbrick+ (Yearly discount) | $2.99 | per month |
| Halfbrick+ | $29.99 | per year |
| Halfbrick+ | $29.99 | per year |
| The Mega Magnet | $0.99 | one-time |
| Special Ammo Gadget | $0.99 | one-time |
| Small Gem Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Fruit Ninja Blade | $1.99 | one-time |
| Weapon Bundle 1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Weapon Bundle 2 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Apocalypse Starter Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Medium Gem Pack | $3.99 | one-time |
| Incredibubble | $3.99 | one-time |
| Large Gem Pack | $8.99 | one-time |
| Halfbrick+ | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fun and addictive gameplay
- 👍 Classic arcade-style visuals
- 💡 Ghostbusters event mashup

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🔋 Overheating issues on older devices
- 💰 Excessive microtransactions and paywalls

**Reported bugs**

- Progress and purchases disappearing after updates
- Game Center integration not working properly
- Spawning enemies too close to the player

**Requested features**

- Bring back the original pixel art style
- Add more unlockable weapons and gadgets
- Implement a classic mode without energy/stamina system


### Ancient Tails

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ancient-tails/id1562360213)

Embark on a retro-inspired platforming adventure to defeat feline foes. Stun enemies with head-butts while dodging hazards like bouncing balls and motorbikes. Relive classic gameplay with modern polish.

**Highlights:** Retro platforming gameplay, Head-butt enemies to stun, Dodge bouncing balls and motorbikes, Inspired by 80s/90s classics, Single-player adventure

**Features:** Game Controller support, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Monster Dash free?

Monster Dash is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Ancient Tails free?

Ancient Tails costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Monster Dash or Ancient Tails have ads?

Neither Monster Dash nor Ancient Tails shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Monster Dash or Ancient Tails?

Monster Dash ships an update every 3 weeks, and Ancient Tails every 7 months. Most recently, Monster Dash was updated on October 27, 2026 and Ancient Tails on October 24, 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.*