# The Bard's Tale vs Elderand

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Elderand at none against The Bard's Tale's 10. Elderand also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months). The Bard's Tale's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 4.2) and price ($2.99 vs $6.99). On review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

The Bard's Tale costs $2.99 and Elderand $6.99 up front. The Bard's Tale sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Elderand asks for nothing beyond the download.

The Bard's Tale holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Bard's Tale has 657 ratings behind it against 36, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 70% of The Bard's Tale's written reviews are positive against 74% of Elderand's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

The Bard's Tale ships an update every 3 months, Elderand weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Bard's Tale | Elderand |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$2.99** | $6.99 |
| Rating | **[4.5 (657 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-bards-tale/id480375355/reviews)** | [4.2 (36 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elderand/id6446288146/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **657** | 36 |
| Positive reviews | 70.4% of reviews | **73.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#195** | — |
| Size | 1.7 GB | 818 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 11.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [inXile Entertainment](https://appshunter.io/developer/290807372) | [Plug In Digital](https://appshunter.io/developer/608306412) |

## What reviewers say

### The Bard's Tale

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-bards-tale/id480375355)

**Currently charting:** #195 Top Paid · Role Playing (US App Store)

Embark on a massive 3D epic role-playing adventure filled with humor and magic. Summon allies, explore a vast world, and battle diverse enemies. This critically acclaimed game offers hours of engaging gameplay with a full cast of characters and a rich inventory.

**Highlights:** Massive 3D epic role-playing game, Magical song summoning, Vast world exploration, 50+ enemy types, Over 150 unique items, Includes classic trilogy, iCloud saves

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Coin Clipping Kit | $0.99 | one-time |
| Receive Inheritance | $0.99 | one-time |
| Bard Training | $0.99 | one-time |
| Trow Map Collection | $1.99 | one-time |
| Bard Intensive Training | $1.99 | one-time |
| Discover Lost Silver Mine | $2.99 | one-time |
| Talent Boot Camp | $2.99 | one-time |
| Bard Epic Transformation Training | $2.99 | one-time |
| Best Bow: Ddraig Goch | $2.99 | one-time |
| Best Armor: Armor of Llyr | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great game
- 👍 Funny and entertaining
- 👍 Good value for money
- 👍 Nostalgic for old fans
- 👍 Smooth gameplay

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and bugs
- 🐛 Glitchy save system
- 🐛 Compatibility issues with newer devices
- 🔋 Performance issues on older devices
- 👎 Repetitive gameplay

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on startup
- Dialogue options not showing up
- Saved games getting corrupted
- Compatibility issues with iOS 14 and newer

**Requested features**

- Improved graphics and visuals
- Better tutorial and onboarding
- More save points and checkpoints
- Ability to restore in-app purchases


### Elderand

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elderand/id6446288146)

Embark on a brutal, skill-based action platformer in a Lovecraftian world. Wield diverse weapons and customize your character with RPG elements to battle terrifying creatures and explore a dark, hand-drawn pixel environment. Collect loot to upgrade your arsenal and uncover the land's secrets.

**Highlights:** Skill-based combat, Metroidvania exploration, Lovecraftian horror themes, RPG character customization, Diverse weapon arsenal, Hand-drawn pixel art, Loot collection and crafting

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great game overall
- 🗺️ Deep lore and world-building
- 🎵 Amazing music and audio
- ⚔️ Challenging yet approachable combat
- 🎮 Excellent controller support (mostly)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Game crashes frequently
- 🐛 Controls can be buggy and unresponsive
- 🐛 Dash function sometimes not working
- 🐛 Game freezes intermittently
- 🐛 Bosses getting stuck in animations

**Reported bugs**

- Permanent crashes
- Character spawning underneath level
- R button for subweapon not working on Steelseries Nimbus
- Dash function not working
- Game freezing for a moment

**Requested features**

- Full controller remapping for bindings
- Multiplayer PvP 'Invasions' system
- Cloud saves (iCloud)
- Adjustable button layout and size
- Ability to track materials acquired


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Bard's Tale free?

The Bard's Tale costs $2.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Elderand free?

Elderand costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, The Bard's Tale or Elderand?

The Bard's Tale is rated higher. The Bard's Tale averages 4.5 out of 5 from 657 ratings, while Elderand averages 4.2 from 36 ratings.

### Do The Bard's Tale or Elderand have ads?

Neither The Bard's Tale nor Elderand shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Bard's Tale or Elderand?

The Bard's Tale ships an update every 3 months, and Elderand weekly. Most recently, The Bard's Tale was updated on October 12, 2026 and Elderand on October 10, 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.*