Comparison

Dark Summoner vs Arcane Heroes

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Dark Summoner

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
Read full description

Garnering Critical Acclaim from Around the World! Dark Summoner, a Dark Fantasy Social Game Gem! Downloaded over 9 million times worldwide! Overwhelming Quality Recognized Around the Globe! *********************************************************** 【Game Introduction】 Bring about an end to the war that's plunged the world into chaos! Summon powerful Rare Monsters and power them up to be mighty warriors for your cause. Form Clans with your friends and aim for the top rank! ■Featuring artwork by many famous Japanese and international artists! A large number of artists from Japan and other countries have contributed to the game. Gorgeous illustrations and intense CG movies deepen the game experience. ■Features over 5,000 Monsters! Featuring more than 5,000 types of monsters designed by famous artists! Monsters are frequently added! Get them all to complete your collection! ■Power up your monsters! Make sacrifices to the monsters you've collected to create the strongest team. Raise epic monsters and become the best! ■Team up with friends to defeat legendary Dark Lord Raid Bosses! Summon legendary Dark Lords using items gathered from completing missions. Cooperate with friends to defeat the Dark Lords and their unbelievable power! Defeated Dark Lords will join your team! ■Form Clans with your friends! In the newly implemented Clan System, create and develop Clans with your friends to gain bonuses! Battle against your Clan mates in future in-game events! Secure your spot in history alongside your friends! ■Craft Relica that can influence the outcome of Battle! Monsters aren't the only vital part of Battles! Gather Magic Crystals to Craft powerful Items, and equip them to boost your stats! There are endless combinations! Find the one that suits your play style! ■Only have a few minutes free? That's OK! The game is playable even if you only have a few minutes to spare. Play at your own pace -- on the train to work or school, before bed, whatever fits your lifestyle! ■New free events and updates added monthly! New events and content are added to the game each month. Dark Summoner is constantly evolving! *********************************************************** ※This game is playable on iOS 15.0 and higher. ※The game may not run if your device's time and date settings are not correct. ※The game's initial load time may take a few minutes in areas with a weak network connection. In such cases, please wait for the load to complete and do not close the application. ※A Wi-Fi connection is recommended for the optimal Dark Summoner experience.

About

Arcane Heroes

Summon powerful heroes and assemble teams to engage in strategic battles across a magical, war-torn world. Embark on epic raids, explore dungeons, and test your skills in the arena. Forge alliances and unleash arcane powers to shape the destiny of the realm.

Highlights
  • Summon unique heroes
  • Engaging campaign storyline
  • Explore perilous dungeons
  • Form alliances for epic raids
  • Fierce PvP arena battles
  • Stunning graphics
Features
Read full description

Arcane Heroes: Warbound invites you to a realm of magic and warfare. Summon mighty heroes, assemble teams, and forge powerful alliances as you embark on epic raids. Unleash arcane powers, strategize in battles, and shape the destiny of a war-torn world. Join the fight, where every summon counts, and alliances determine the course of war. Summon Heroes: Call upon mighty heroes with unique abilities to join your cause. Campaign: Immerse yourself in an epic storyline, unveiling the mysteries of a war-torn world through engaging campaigns. Dungeons: Explore perilous dungeons filled with treasures and challenges, testing your team's resilience and strategy. Raids: Form alliances to tackle epic raids, battling formidable foes for rare rewards and glory. Arena: Engage in fierce PvP battles, showcasing your strategic prowess and hero lineup against other players. Graphics: Experience stunning visuals and immersive graphics that bring the magical realm to life.

Screenshots

Dark Summoner4 screens
Arcane Heroes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Arcane Heroes at 4.5 against Dark Summoner's 3.6. Arcane Heroes also leads on ads (none vs shown). Dark Summoner's advantage is review sentiment (62% vs 32%) and chart position (#187 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Dark Summoner sells 12 one-off in-app purchases and Arcane Heroes sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Arcane Heroes holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 290 and 61 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 62% of Dark Summoner's written reviews are positive against 32% of Arcane Heroes's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dark Summoner ships an update every 3 months, Arcane Heroes every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Dark Summoner versus Arcane Heroes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDark SummonerArcane Heroes
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.6 (290 ratings)4.5 (61 ratings) — better
Positive reviews61.6% of reviews — better31.8% of reviews
Number of ratings290 — better61
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#187 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size105 MB146 MB
Age rating17+9+
DeveloperAteam Entertainment Inc.Alexandru Craciun

Customer experience

Dark Summoner

All ratings290 ratings
Positive61.7%
Neutral10.3%
Negative27.9%
Written reviews367 reviews
Positive61.6%
Neutral6.8%
Negative31.6%

Arcane Heroes

All ratings61 ratings
Positive86.9%
Neutral4.9%
Negative8.2%
Written reviews22 reviews
Positive31.8%
Neutral27.3%
Negative40.9%

Bugs and requests

Dark Summoner

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

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

Arcane Heroes

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

12 purchases

Dark Summoner

One-time12
  • 120 Soul Points$0.99
  • 365 Soul Points$2.99
  • Event Value Pack I$3.99
Show 9 more
  • 1000 Soul Points$7.99
  • Royal Pack C$7.99
  • 1520 Soul Points$11.99
  • Summoner's Pass$12.99
  • 3100 Soul Points$22.99
  • 4800 Soul Points$34.99
  • 8300 Soul Points$59.99
  • 11000 Soul Points$69.99
  • Value Pack! (Platinum)$79.99
14 purchases

Arcane Heroes

Subscriptions1
  • Arcane Card$9.991 Month
One-time13
  • Diamond Stack$2.99
  • Daily Pack$4.99
  • Rookie Pack$9.99
Show 10 more
  • Diamond Pile$9.99
  • Diamond Pouch$17.99
  • Hero Booster$19.99
  • Appretince Pack$19.99
  • Equipment Offer$19.99
  • Veteran Pack$29.99
  • Elite Pack$39.99
  • Mega Pack$49.99
  • Diamond Vault$49.99
  • Diamond Mountain$99.99

Questions

Is Dark Summoner free?
Dark Summoner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Arcane Heroes free?
Arcane Heroes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Dark Summoner or Arcane Heroes?
Arcane Heroes is rated higher. Dark Summoner averages 3.6 out of 5 from 290 ratings, while Arcane Heroes averages 4.5 from 61 ratings.
Do Dark Summoner or Arcane Heroes have ads?
Dark Summoner shows ads; Arcane Heroes does not.
Which is updated more often, Dark Summoner or Arcane Heroes?
Dark Summoner ships an update every 3 months, and Arcane Heroes every 2 months. Most recently, Dark Summoner was updated on September 22, 2026 and Arcane Heroes on September 21, 2026.

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