# Cytus vs Arcaea

The clearest difference is price: Arcaea at Free against Cytus's $1.99. Arcaea also leads on update cadence (every 8 days vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (25K vs 1.8K). Cytus's advantage is review sentiment (92% vs 78%) and chart position (#18 vs #65). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Arcaea is free to download; Cytus costs $1.99 up front. Cytus sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Arcaea sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Cytus against 4.8 for Arcaea. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Arcaea has 25K ratings behind it against 1.8K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 92% of Cytus's written reviews are positive against 78% of Arcaea's.

Cytus ships an update every 4 months, Arcaea every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cytus | Arcaea |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.9 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cytus/id485246824/reviews)** | [4.8 (25K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcaea/id1205999125/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1.8K | **25K** |
| Positive reviews | **92.3% of reviews** | 78.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#18** | #65 |
| Size | 1.3 GB | 1.2 GB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 12.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Rayark International Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/483529071) | [lowiro](https://appshunter.io/developer/1381393762) |

## What reviewers say

### Cytus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cytus/id485246824)

**Currently charting:** #18 Top Paid · Music, #100 Top Paid · Casual, #139 Top Grossing · Music (US App Store)

Experience a unique rhythm game with a captivating story and diverse musical genres. Tap notes in time with the music, utilizing an intuitive active scan line system. Enjoy a vast library of songs and challenging difficulty levels.

**Highlights:** 200+ songs and 400+ variations, Beautiful hand-drawn art style, Active Scan Line system, Multiple difficulty levels, Diverse music genres, Story-driven experience

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Chapter N | $1.49 | one-time |
| Chapter 0 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Chapter R | $1.99 | one-time |
| Chapter T | $1.99 | one-time |
| Chapter D | $1.99 | one-time |
| Chapter L | $3.99 | one-time |
| Chapter 8 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Chapter S | $4.99 | one-time |
| Chapter 10 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Chapter K | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎶 Great music and soundtrack
- 🎨 Beautiful artwork and visuals
- 💯 Challenging and addictive gameplay
- 👍 Offline playability
- 🕹️ Unique and responsive controls

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤚 Thumb placement can obscure notes
- 🔢 Inconsistent difficulty ratings
- 💰 Some chapters locked behind paywall
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes
- 🔌 Compatibility issues on newer devices

**Reported bugs**

- Sound not working on certain devices
- Purchased content disappearing after updates
- Inability to restore previous progress

**Requested features**

- More diverse music genres
- Customizable note sizes and placements
- Improved difficulty balancing
- Restore purchase functionality
- Dedicated marathon/endless mode


### Arcaea

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcaea/id1205999125)

**Currently charting:** #65 Top Grossing · Music, #87 Top Free · Music (US App Store)

Experience a unique rhythm game that blends challenging gameplay with an immersive story. Progress through a narrative driven by your performance, unlock new difficulties, and compete with others online. Enjoy a vast library of music, with more available through content packs.

**Highlights:** Novel gameplay mechanics, Immersive sound and story, High difficulty ceiling, Over 350 songs, 3 rhythm difficulty levels per song, Real-time online multiplayer, Rich Main Story and Side Stories

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 100 Memories | $0.99 | one-time |
| 510 Memories | $4.99 | one-time |
| 1020 Memories | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Unique gameplay mechanics
- 🎨 Beautiful visuals and art
- 🎶 Excellent music selection
- 👍 Smooth and responsive controls
- 💯 Challenging yet rewarding difficulty

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Excessive paywall for content
- 🔁 Repetitive grind in World Mode
- 🐛 Occasional note registration issues
- 🔊 Audio desync when multitasking
- 🤖 Lack of practice mode or tutorial

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues and account sync problems
- Compatibility problems on certain devices
- Crashes and freezes during gameplay

**Requested features**

- Multiplayer mode to compete with friends
- Ability to earn premium currency through gameplay
- More free song options to explore the game
- Customizable note speed and offset settings
- Improved story mode and character development


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cytus free?

Cytus costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Arcaea free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Cytus or Arcaea?

Cytus is rated higher. Cytus averages 4.9 out of 5 from 1.8K ratings, while Arcaea averages 4.8 from 25K ratings.

### Do Cytus or Arcaea have ads?

Neither Cytus nor Arcaea shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Cytus or Arcaea?

Cytus ships an update every 4 months, and Arcaea every 8 days. Most recently, Cytus was updated on September 25, 2026 and Arcaea on September 27, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Cytus or Arcaea?

Cytus currently peaks at #18 in the App Store charts, and Arcaea at #65. 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.*