# Cytus vs Drift

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 (#20 vs unranked). On rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cytus | Drift |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.9 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cytus/id485246824/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drift-guiding-orb/id6760380976/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.8K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 92.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#20** | — |
| Size | 1.3 GB | 42 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Rayark International Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/483529071) | [Hanbyul Kang](https://appshunter.io/developer/1884212347) |

## What reviewers say

### Cytus

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

**Currently charting:** #20 Top Paid · Music, #142 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 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Chapter 0 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Chapter R | $4.99 | one-time |
| Chapter T | $4.99 | one-time |
| Chapter D | $4.99 | 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 |
| Chapter L | $9.99 | 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


### Drift

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drift-guiding-orb/id6760380976)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*