# Dark Summoner vs Castlevania

The clearest difference is price: Dark Summoner at Free against Castlevania's $2.99. Dark Summoner also leads on update cadence (every 3 months vs every 29 months). Castlevania's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 12) and ads (none vs shown). On review sentiment and device support there is nothing between them.

Dark Summoner is free to download; Castlevania costs $2.99 up front. Dark Summoner sells 12 one-off in-app purchases. Castlevania asks for nothing beyond the download.

Castlevania holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Castlevania has 1.8K ratings behind it against 290, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 62% of Dark Summoner's written reviews are positive against 54% of Castlevania's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Dark Summoner ships an update every 3 months, Castlevania every 29 months. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dark Summoner | Castlevania |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | [3.6 (290 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dark-summoner/id480950048/reviews) | **[3.9 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/castlevania-sotn/id1435456830/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 290 | **1.8K** |
| Positive reviews | **61.6% of reviews** | 53.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 29 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #193 | **#21** |
| Size | 105 MB | 326 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ateam Entertainment Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1579835689) | [KONAMI](https://appshunter.io/developer/299580230) |

## What reviewers say

### Dark Summoner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dark-summoner/id480950048)

**Currently charting:** #193 Top Grossing · Adventure (US App Store)

Engage in a dark fantasy world by summoning and powering up over 5,000 unique monsters. Team up with friends to defeat powerful raid bosses, form clans, and craft items to enhance your team's abilities. Play at your own pace with regular free updates and events.

**Highlights:** Summon and power up over 5,000 monsters, Cooperative raid boss battles, Form and develop clans with friends, Craft powerful battle items, Artwork by famous artists, Regular free events and updates

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 120 Soul Points | $0.99 | one-time |
| 365 Soul Points | $2.99 | one-time |
| Event Value Pack I | $3.99 | one-time |
| 1000 Soul Points | $7.99 | one-time |
| Royal Pack C | $7.99 | one-time |
| 1520 Soul Points | $11.99 | one-time |
| Summoner's Pass | $12.99 | one-time |
| 3100 Soul Points | $22.99 | one-time |
| 4800 Soul Points | $34.99 | one-time |
| 8300 Soul Points | $59.99 | one-time |
| 11000 Soul Points | $69.99 | one-time |
| Value Pack! (Platinum) | $79.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Beautiful artwork
- 🕹️ Addictive gameplay
- 🤝 Helpful community
- 🏆 Competitive events

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 💰 Pay-to-win mechanics
- 🕰️ Slow loading times
- 🤯 Overwhelming complexity
- 📱 Screen size issues on newer devices

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to log in or create account
- Disappearing rewards and progress
- Broken trading/gifting functionality
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Account recovery option
- Improved tutorial and onboarding
- Rebalance of progression system
- More F2P-friendly content


### Castlevania

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/castlevania-sotn/id1435456830)

**Currently charting:** #21 Top Paid · Adventure, #41 Top Paid · Action, #119 Top Paid · Games, #200 Top Paid (US App Store)

Experience a classic action RPG on mobile. Explore a vast castle, battle unique enemies, and uncover secrets as Alucard. This port features updated controls and achievements.

**Highlights:** Direct port of the console classic, Play as Alucard, Jump, dash, and slash combat, Vast castle exploration, Game controller compatibility, New continue feature, Unlockable achievements

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Faithful port of a classic game
- 🎮 Works well with controllers
- 💰 Great value for the price

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🎮 Unresponsive touch controls
- 🔍 Small action buttons
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches (clock room issue, save system issues)

**Reported bugs**

- Clock room not functioning properly
- Save system issues (not saving, losing progress)
- Audio issues (no sound, pitch/speed problems)

**Requested features**

- Customizable controls and button layout
- Original voice acting option
- Improved cutscene quality
- Cloud save support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Dark Summoner free?

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

### Is Castlevania free?

Castlevania costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Dark Summoner or Castlevania?

Castlevania is rated higher. Dark Summoner averages 3.6 out of 5 from 290 ratings, while Castlevania averages 3.9 from 1.8K ratings.

### Do Dark Summoner or Castlevania have ads?

Dark Summoner shows ads; Castlevania does not.

### Which is updated more often, Dark Summoner or Castlevania?

Dark Summoner ships an update every 3 months, and Castlevania every 29 months. Most recently, Dark Summoner was updated on September 22, 2026 and Castlevania on September 23, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Dark Summoner or Castlevania?

Dark Summoner currently peaks at #193 in the App Store charts, and Castlevania at #21. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*