# Silversword vs Avernum HD

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Avernum HD at none against Silversword's 11. Silversword's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 17 months) and price ($5.99 vs $9.99). On rating, review sentiment, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Silversword costs $5.99 and Avernum HD $9.99 up front. Silversword sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. Avernum HD asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Silversword against 4.7 for Avernum HD. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Silversword has 265 ratings behind it against 45, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 87% of Silversword's written reviews are positive against 93% of Avernum HD's.

Silversword ships an update every 2 months, Avernum HD every 17 months. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Silversword | Avernum HD |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$5.99** | $9.99 |
| Rating | **[4.8 (265 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/silversword/id470888383/reviews)** | [4.7 (45 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/avernum-hd/id499730787/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **265** | 45 |
| Positive reviews | 87.2% of reviews | **93.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 17 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#200** | — |
| Size | 186 MB | 172 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | 12.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Mario J. Gaida](https://appshunter.io/developer/355725696) | [Spiderweb Software](https://appshunter.io/developer/426522868) |

## What reviewers say

### Silversword

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/silversword/id470888383)

**Currently charting:** #200 Top Paid · Role Playing (US App Store)

Embark on a classic fantasy role-playing adventure in a world filled with evil. Assemble a party of heroes, master spells and skills, and explore vast lands with countless hours of gameplay. An expansion adds new challenges and content.

**Highlights:** 7 races with unique abilities, 12 classes with distinct skills, Over 400 unique items, 120+ spells, songs, and prayers, 220+ unique monsters, Nearly 70 different maps, Integrated automap and quest log

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

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bag of 10,000 Gold | $0.99 | one-time |
| Potion of Divine Restoration | $0.99 | one-time |
| Crystal of Safety | $0.99 | one-time |
| Small Vault Expansion | $0.99 | one-time |
| Bag of 50,000 Gold | $1.99 | one-time |
| Parcel Service | $1.99 | one-time |
| Large Vault Expansion | $1.99 | one-time |
| Silversword Compendium | $2.99 | one-time |
| Bag of 100,000 Gold | $2.99 | one-time |
| Rise Of The Dragons | $4.99 | one-time |
| Bag of 500,000 Gold | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Classic RPG experience
- 👍 Engaging gameplay
- 💎 Excellent value for money
- 🎮 Nostalgic throwback to Bard's Tale
- 🕹️ Challenging dungeon crawling

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
- 🔍 Unclear game mechanics
- 🗺️ Confusing navigation at times
- 🕹️ Steep learning curve

**Reported bugs**

- Shop crashes on some devices
- Inventory management issues

**Requested features**

- Expanded character classes and races
- More detailed tutorials or guidance
- Improved map and navigation features
- Multiplayer or co-op functionality


### Avernum HD

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/avernum-hd/id499730787)

Embark on an epic fantasy role-playing adventure in a vast underworld. Explore enormous environments, uncover a fascinating story, and make choices that lead to freedom or revenge. This game offers over 30 hours of engaging gameplay.

**Highlights:** Epic fantasy role-playing adventure, Enormous underworld world, Fascinating story with 30+ hours of gameplay, Three separate game-winning quests, Dozens of side quests and magical artifacts, Rich game system with spells and character traits

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great turn-based RPG
- 👍 Excellent alternative to D&D
- 👍 Massive world to explore
- 👍 Huge amount of content
- 👍 Fantastic game

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes
- 🐛 Upside-down orientation on iPad Pro
- 🐛 Difficulty selecting enemies in combat
- 🐛 Frustrating pathfinding issues

**Reported bugs**

- Automatic party death at start of game
- Compatibility issues on older iPads

**Requested features**

- Pinch-to-zoom functionality
- Automatic saving during gameplay
- More quick spell slots
- iCloud save sync


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Silversword free?

Silversword costs $5.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Avernum HD free?

Avernum HD costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Silversword or Avernum HD?

Silversword is rated higher. Silversword averages 4.8 out of 5 from 265 ratings, while Avernum HD averages 4.7 from 45 ratings.

### Do Silversword or Avernum HD have ads?

Neither Silversword nor Avernum HD shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Silversword or Avernum HD?

Silversword ships an update every 2 months, and Avernum HD every 17 months. Most recently, Silversword was updated on October 30, 2026 and Avernum HD on October 23, 2026.

---

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