# Baldur's Gate vs DRAGON QUEST VIII

The clearest difference is price: Baldur's Gate at $9.99 against DRAGON QUEST VIII's $19.99. Baldur's Gate also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). DRAGON QUEST VIII's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Baldur's Gate costs $9.99 and DRAGON QUEST VIII $19.99 up front. Baldur's Gate sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. DRAGON QUEST VIII asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 3.9 for Baldur's Gate against 3.8 for DRAGON QUEST VIII. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 668 and 401 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 58% of Baldur's Gate's written reviews are positive against 62% of DRAGON QUEST VIII's.

Baldur's Gate ships an update every 9 months, DRAGON QUEST VIII every 16 months. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Baldur's Gate | DRAGON QUEST VIII |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$9.99** | $19.99 |
| Rating | **[3.9 (668 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/baldurs-gate/id515114051/reviews)** | [3.8 (401 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dragon-quest-viii/id862972069/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **668** | 401 |
| Positive reviews | 58.3% of reviews | **61.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 months** | Every 16 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #183 | **#67** |
| Size | 3.1 GB | 1.9 GB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Overhaul Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/869400201) | [SQUARE ENIX Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/300186801) |

## What reviewers say

### Baldur's Gate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/baldurs-gate/id515114051)

**Currently charting:** #183 Top Paid · Role Playing (US App Store)

Embark on an epic roleplaying adventure set in a world on the brink of war. Customize your hero, assemble a party of companions, and explore a vast continent filled with mystery and danger. This enhanced edition includes the original campaign and new stories, with additional content available for purchase.

**Highlights:** Original 60-hour adventure, Tales of the Sword Coast expansion, The Black Pits arena battles, Brothers Lost questline, Improved interface and dynamic zooming, New character portraits and voice sets

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Enhanced Voice Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Jason Manley Portrait Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| A Blackguard’s Revenge | $2.99 | one-time |
| To Flee Thay | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent port of a classic game
- 🎮 Great gameplay and story
- 👍 Nostalgic experience
- 💡 New features and characters added

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate and control on small screens
- 🔋 Performance issues with spells and effects
- 📏 UI not optimized for mobile devices

**Reported bugs**

- Sidebar menu issues
- Crashes and freezes
- Inability to restore purchased content
- Compatibility problems with newer devices

**Requested features**

- Controller support
- Improved UI and controls for mobile
- Cross-save functionality between platforms
- Ability to remove experience cap


### DRAGON QUEST VIII

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dragon-quest-viii/id862972069)

**Currently charting:** #67 Top Paid · Role Playing (US App Store)

Embark on an epic 3D adventure in a cursed kingdom. Recruit a party of unique companions, master a deep combat system with tension and skill points, and explore a vast world filled with monsters to tame and items to craft. Enjoy all content in a single purchase.

**Highlights:** Full 3D world exploration, Streamlined touch controls, Tension System for powerful attacks, Skill Point customization, Monster team recruitment and battles, Alchemy Pot for item crafting, In-game casino with mini-games

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth gameplay
- 🎨 Gorgeous graphics
- 📱 Convenient mobile experience
- 🕹️ Intuitive controls
- 🕰️ Faithful to original PS2 version

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔇 Lack of voice acting
- 🔍 Limited camera controls
- 🔋 Battery drain issues
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and freezes
- 🔒 Cloud save problems

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes during boss battles
- Inability to load cloud saves
- Unresponsive touch controls
- Graphical glitches in certain areas

**Requested features**

- Landscape mode support
- Controller support
- Orchestral soundtrack option
- Ability to customize characters
- Downloadable voice acting


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Baldur's Gate free?

Baldur's Gate costs $9.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is DRAGON QUEST VIII free?

DRAGON QUEST VIII costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Baldur's Gate or DRAGON QUEST VIII?

Baldur's Gate is rated higher. Baldur's Gate averages 3.9 out of 5 from 668 ratings, while DRAGON QUEST VIII averages 3.8 from 401 ratings.

### Do Baldur's Gate or DRAGON QUEST VIII have ads?

Neither Baldur's Gate nor DRAGON QUEST VIII shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Baldur's Gate or DRAGON QUEST VIII?

Baldur's Gate ships an update every 9 months, and DRAGON QUEST VIII every 16 months. Most recently, Baldur's Gate was updated on November 10, 2026 and DRAGON QUEST VIII on November 12, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Baldur's Gate or DRAGON QUEST VIII?

Baldur's Gate currently peaks at #183 in the App Store charts, and DRAGON QUEST VIII at #67. 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.*