# Celtic Tribes vs Aether Bastion

The clearest difference is rating: Aether Bastion at 5.0 against Celtic Tribes's 3.5. Aether Bastion also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 60%) and ads (none vs shown). Celtic Tribes's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly) and ratings volume (46 vs 13). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Celtic Tribes sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Aether Bastion sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Aether Bastion holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 46 and 13 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of Celtic Tribes's written reviews are positive against 100% of Aether Bastion's.

Celtic Tribes ships an update fortnightly, Aether Bastion monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Celtic Tribes | Aether Bastion |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.5 (46 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/celtic-tribes-strategy-mmo/id564769273/reviews) | **[5.0 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aether-bastion/id6806149789/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **46** | 13 |
| Positive reviews | 60.4% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 136 MB | 165 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [XYRALITY GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/421864157) | [NoffTech LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/495613460) |

## What reviewers say

### Celtic Tribes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/celtic-tribes-strategy-mmo/id564769273)

Build a thriving village into a powerful empire in this real-time strategy MMO. Recruit armies, gather resources, and engage in epic battles or diplomacy with other players. Utilize ancient magic and form alliances to conquer rivals and claim the throne.

**Highlights:** Build village into a large city, Recruit army and fight other leaders, Collect and use secret artefacts, Utilize druidic magic, Produce resources and trade, Conquer and defend villages, Join powerful tribes

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 140 Magic Potions | $0.99 | one-time |
| 600 Magic Potions | $3.99 | one-time |
| 700 Magic Potions | $4.99 | one-time |
| 1,200 Magic Potions | $5.99 | one-time |
| 2,999 sale! | $8.99 | one-time |
| 1,400 Magic Potions | $8.99 | one-time |
| 3,000 Magic Potions | $11.99 | one-time |
| 4,999 sale! | $13.99 | one-time |
| 3,100 Magic Potions | $17.99 | one-time |
| 5,000 Magic Potions | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and addictive gameplay
- 👍 Great social features and tribe communities
- 💡 Blind-friendly and accessible
- 🎨 Interesting Celtic theme and visuals

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and technical issues
- ⏱️ Slow progression and long upgrade times
- 💰 Aggressive monetization and pay-to-win mechanics
- 🤖 Unresponsive and unhelpful developers

**Reported bugs**

- Disappearing troops and lost progress
- Broken login and account issues
- Incompatibility with newer iOS versions
- Laggy performance and constant loading screens

**Requested features**

- Artifact trading or auction house
- Improved village management tools
- More animations and dynamic village scenes
- Better tutorial and onboarding experience


### Aether Bastion

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aether-bastion/id6806149789)

Defend a growing rift against swarms. Strategically expand your keep and spend resources to bring cores home. Enjoy live co-op multiplayer for up to four players.

**Highlights:** Idle rift defense gameplay, Strategic keep growth, Resource management, Live co-op multiplayer (2-4 players), Seasonal events

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bastion Circle | $7.99 | per month |
| Handful of Gems | $0.99 | one-time |
| Ember Theme | $1.99 | one-time |
| Awakening Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Ember Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Purse of Gems | $4.99 | one-time |
| Founder’s Sigil | $4.99 | one-time |
| Chest of Gems | $9.99 | one-time |
| Vault of Gems | $19.99 | one-time |
| Treasury of Gems | $49.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Celtic Tribes free?

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

### Is Aether Bastion free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Celtic Tribes or Aether Bastion?

Aether Bastion is rated higher. Celtic Tribes averages 3.5 out of 5 from 46 ratings, while Aether Bastion averages 5.0 from 13 ratings.

### Do Celtic Tribes or Aether Bastion have ads?

Celtic Tribes shows ads; Aether Bastion does not.

### Which is updated more often, Celtic Tribes or Aether Bastion?

Celtic Tribes ships an update fortnightly, and Aether Bastion monthly. Most recently, Celtic Tribes was updated on November 1, 2026 and Aether Bastion 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.*