# Helix vs Nitelore

The clearest difference is price: Nitelore at Free against Helix's $3.99. Nitelore also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 40 months) and chart position (#150 vs unranked). Helix's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Nitelore is free to download; Helix costs $3.99 up front. Nitelore sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Helix asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Helix against 4.6 for Nitelore. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 36 and 55 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of Helix's written reviews are positive against 78% of Nitelore's.

Helix ships an update every 40 months, Nitelore every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Helix | Nitelore |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $3.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.7 (36 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/helix/id562550427/reviews)** | [4.6 (55 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nitelore/id6790147739/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 36 | **55** |
| Positive reviews | **80.4% of reviews** | 77.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 40 months | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#150** |
| Size | 12 MB | 48 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Michael Brough](https://appshunter.io/developer/490257881) | [Crabware](https://appshunter.io/developer/1824719778) |

## What reviewers say

### Helix

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/helix/id562550427)

Experience a frantic arcade challenge with precise touchscreen controls. This "anti-shmup" game focuses on avoiding and encircling enemies with unique twists. It's a critically acclaimed title recognized for its innovative design.

**Highlights:** Frantic arcade gameplay, Precise touchscreen controls, Avoid and encircle enemies, Unique gameplay twists, Critically acclaimed design

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Addictive gameplay
- 🎶 Catchy soundtrack
- 🎨 Unique art style
- 🚀 Smooth controls
- 💡 Innovative mechanics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 😵 Repetitive gameplay
- 📱 Frustrating on phone
- 🤔 Not enough content
- 👎 Crude graphics
- 😵 Boring

**Reported bugs**

- 🐛 Skewed off iPad screen
- 🐛 Black bars on sides (iOS 9.3)
- 🐛 Floaty and inaccurate controls
- 🐛 Ugly app design and UI

**Requested features**

- Optimization for larger screens (iPad, iPhone 6/6+)
- More variety and content


### Nitelore

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nitelore/id6790147739)

**Currently charting:** #150 Top Free · Racing, #176 Top Grossing · Racing (US App Store)

Experience extreme anti-gravity racing with explosive combat across diverse and spectacular environments. Conquer seasons, master tracks, and destroy opponents in various thrilling game modes. Compete with friends or strangers online and customize your fleet.

**Highlights:** Ultraspeed anti-gravity racing, Explosive combat and death races, Multiple game modes (Grand Prix, Time Attack, Elimination, Death Race), Online multiplayer with friends and strangers, Spectacular and diverse tracks, Ship customization and upgrades, Daily challenges and leaderboards

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Game Controller support, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Offworld | $1.99 | one-time |
| World Tour | $1.99 | one-time |
| Coin Cache - 6,000 Coins | $1.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Nitelore | $2.99 | one-time |
| Coin Vault - 18,000 Coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| Coin Hoard - 40,000 Coins | $9.99 | one-time |
| Motherlode - 90,000 Coins | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Helix free?

Helix costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Nitelore free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Helix or Nitelore?

Helix is rated higher. Helix averages 4.7 out of 5 from 36 ratings, while Nitelore averages 4.6 from 55 ratings.

### Do Helix or Nitelore have ads?

Neither Helix nor Nitelore shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Helix or Nitelore?

Helix ships an update every 40 months, and Nitelore every 4 days. Most recently, Helix was updated on November 1, 2026 and Nitelore on November 6, 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.*