Comparison

Cytus vs Drift

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

Head to head
About

Cytus

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
Read full description

Welcome to the Musical World of Cytus LET’S EXPERIENCE MUSIC ’N ART, BEAT ’N REBOUND! Check the screenshots and you will see the most AWESOME mobile music game ever! Just PLAY and ENJOY! ------------------------------------------------------ FEATURES - 200 songs and 400 variations, including many from famous composers around the world - Beautiful hand-drawn art style (as illustrated in the screenshots) - Easy, intuitive Active Scan Line system and 3 types of notes - Different display modes allow player-friendly previewing of notes - Strong beat and rhythms provide satisfying feedback for taps - More than 9 difficulty levels for more fun and challenges - Various music genres: POP, JAZZ, TRANCE, HARDCORE, DRUM 'N BASS and many more - Connect to Facebook and show off your Cytus skills ------------------------------------------------------ HOW TO PLAY - Follow along the Active Scan Line - Tap each note as the line passes through - Time your taps as the line is at the center of the note for a higher score! ------------------------------------------------------ STORY In the distant future, the only sentient beings in the world are robots. They are the last remnant of the human spirit. However, mankind is not dead. Technology exists that is capable of transferring memories to these robots. But with limited space, new memories will gradually overwrite the old. To prevent the emotions in human memories from fading away, the robots resorted to converting the emotions to music, and storing them in a place called Cytus. The robots use these songs to experience human emotion and dream that souls exists in each of them... Cytus --------------------------------------------- Cytus Official Site: http://www.rayark.com/g/cytus Rayark Official Site: http://www.rayark.com Follow Cytus https://twitter.com/CytusRayark Like Cytus http://www.facebook.com/rayark.Cytus

About

Drift

A minimalist physics game where you guide an orb through shrinking rings in space. Master gravity-based controls and chain combos for score multipliers and in-game currency to unlock new orb skins and backgrounds.

Highlights
  • Tap-to-attract physics
  • Collectible orb skins
  • Animated space backgrounds
  • Score multiplier combo system
  • One-tap sound mute
  • No timers or lives
Features
Read full description

DRIFT is a minimalist physics game set in the depths of space — easy to pick up, impossible to put down. Your orb floats freely, pulled only by gravity and your touch. Tap anywhere to attract it toward your finger, then let go and watch it drift. Thread it through each glowing ring before time runs out — but the rings keep shrinking, and one miss ends everything. Chain combos to multiply your score. Earn coins. Build your collection. Every ring you pass grows your combo. Keep the streak alive to unlock massive coin bonuses — then spend them in the shop on rare orb shapes and space-themed backgrounds that transform your entire game world. FEATURES — Satisfying tap-to-attract physics that feels unlike anything else — 12 collectible orb skins: from classic circle to hexagram, heptagon, decagon, and beyond — 5 animated backgrounds: Deep Space, Nebula, Solar Flare, Aurora, and Crimson Void — Score multiplier combo system — chain passes to earn 2× coins on new personal bests — Sound effects with one-tap mute toggle — No timers, no lives to wait for — just pure arcade flow Simple controls. Infinite depth. One more run.

Screenshots

Cytus4 screens
Drift3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Drift at Free against Cytus's $1.99. Drift also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 10) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months). Cytus's advantage is ratings volume (1.8K vs 2) and chart position (#15 vs unranked). On rating, ads and device support 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

Drift is free to download; Cytus costs $1.99 up front. Cytus sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Drift asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Cytus against 5.0 for Drift. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cytus has 1.8K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cytus ships an update every 4 months, Drift every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Cytus versus Drift: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCytusDrift
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating4.9 (1.8K ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews92.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings1.8K — better2
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#15 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size1.3 GB42 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRayark International LimitedHanbyul Kang

Customer experience

Cytus

All ratings1,758 ratings
Positive97.0%
Neutral1.0%
Negative2.0%
Written reviews455 reviews
Positive92.3%
Neutral2.0%
Negative5.7%

Drift

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Cytus

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

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

Drift

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Cytus

One-time10
  • Chapter N$3.99
  • Chapter 0$4.99
  • Chapter R$4.99
Show 7 more
  • Chapter T$4.99
  • Chapter D$4.99
  • Chapter 8$4.99
  • Chapter S$4.99
  • Chapter 10$4.99
  • Chapter K$4.99
  • Chapter L$9.99
None

Drift

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Cytus free?
Cytus costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Drift free?
Drift is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Cytus or Drift?
Drift is rated higher. Cytus averages 4.9 out of 5 from 1.8K ratings, while Drift averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Cytus or Drift have ads?
Neither Cytus nor Drift shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cytus or Drift?
Cytus ships an update every 4 months, and Drift every 3 weeks. Most recently, Cytus was updated on October 19, 2026 and Drift on October 16, 2026.

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