# Companions vs Abalone®

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Companions at 83% against Abalone®'s 17%. Companions also leads on price (Free vs $3.99) and ads (none vs shown). Abalone®'s advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and update cadence (daily vs every 3 months). On device support there is nothing between them.

Companions is free to download; Abalone® costs $3.99 up front. Companions sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Abalone® asks for nothing beyond the download.

Abalone® holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Companions has 13 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 83% of Companions's written reviews are positive against 17% of Abalone®'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Companions ships an update every 3 months, Abalone® daily. The most recent releases landed on June 9, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Companions | Abalone® |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $3.99 |
| Rating | [4.8 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/companions/id418974698/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abalone/id6444700609/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **13** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **82.9% of reviews** | 16.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Daily** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 79 MB | 209 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.1** | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Smuttlewerk Interactive UG (haftungsbeschrankt)](https://appshunter.io/developer/418974701) | [Plug In Digital](https://appshunter.io/developer/608306412) |

## What reviewers say

### Companions

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/companions/id418974698)

Embark on an epic campaign in this old-school dungeon crawler. Lead four companions through a world threatened by darkness, utilizing diverse classes, skills, and tactical combat. With a deep storyline and endless replayability, prepare for challenging battles and a rich adventure.

**Highlights:** 10+ hour campaign, Multiple party combinations, Endless replayability, 3 classes per race, 40+ skills, Gather 100+ items, Tactical pause

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 5 Ur-Steel | $0.99 | one-time |
| 12 Ur-Steel | $1.99 | one-time |
| 35 Ur-Steel | $4.99 | one-time |
| 80 Ur-Steel | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Deep tactical combat system with strategic pause mechanic
- 📖 Engaging story with humor and character development
- 🎨 Quality graphics and visual presentation
- 👥 Unique multi-character control with diverse class options
- ⚔️ Challenging gameplay that rewards careful planning

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🎮 Awkward and fiddly touch controls
- 📱 Difficult multi-character management during combat
- ⏱️ Restrictive tactical pause timer creates frustration
- 🗺️ Limited camera/map controls and no minimap
- 🐢 Slow character movement through dungeons

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes on startup or when party members die
- Freezing at loading screen on iPad 2
- Characters unable to interact with destructible objects in certain rooms
- Characters getting stuck during pathfinding
- Mages unable to cast area spells in some situations

**Requested features**

- Minimap or map overview feature
- Single-finger screen panning instead of two-finger requirement
- Turn-based mode option for combat
- Group movement and formation commands
- Longer or unlimited tactical pause timer


### Abalone®

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abalone/id6444700609)

Experience a classic two-player board game on a hexagonal board. Push your opponent's marbles off while protecting your own. Offers strategic depth, online play, and over 200 puzzles.

**Highlights:** Classic hexagonal board gameplay, Push opponent's marbles off, Play against computer or online, Casual and ranked matches, Over 200 puzzles and brain-teasers, Customizable game settings

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Companions free?

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

### Is Abalone® free?

Abalone® costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Companions or Abalone®?

Abalone® is rated higher. Companions averages 4.8 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while Abalone® averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Companions or Abalone® have ads?

Abalone® shows ads; Companions does not.

### Which is updated more often, Companions or Abalone®?

Companions ships an update every 3 months, and Abalone® daily. Most recently, Companions was updated on June 9, 2026 and Abalone® on September 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.*