# Alien Hive vs Swarm Simulator

The clearest difference is update cadence: Swarm Simulator at every 9 days against Alien Hive's every 2 months. Swarm Simulator also leads on ratings volume (2.7K vs 189). Alien Hive's advantage is review sentiment (86% vs 78%). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Alien Hive sells 11 one-off in-app purchases and Swarm Simulator sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Alien Hive against 4.7 for Swarm Simulator. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Swarm Simulator has 2.7K ratings behind it against 189, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 86% of Alien Hive's written reviews are positive against 78% of Swarm Simulator's.

Alien Hive ships an update every 2 months, Swarm Simulator every 9 days. Both last shipped on October 12, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Alien Hive | Swarm Simulator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (189 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alien-hive/id571149889/reviews) | **[4.7 (2.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swarm-simulator-evolution/id1320056680/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 189 | **2.7K** |
| Positive reviews | **86.5% of reviews** | 78.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 231 MB | 158 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Appxplore (iCandy) Sdn. Bhd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/464212314) | [Iron Horse Games LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1281721366) |

## What reviewers say

### Alien Hive

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alien-hive/id571149889)

This game blends match-3 and sliding tile puzzles to evolve aliens. Match tiles to hatch and evolve creatures, harvest resources, and build your ultimate alien hive. Strategically defeat villainous bots and uncover the planet's mysteries.

**Highlights:** Evolving-aliens puzzle gameplay, Hybrid match-3 and sliding tile puzzles, Match tiles to harvest resources, Hatch and evolve alien species, Defeat villainous Bots, BLITZ MODE for fast-action fun, Collect dozens of Supreme Aliens

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pile of Gold | $0.99 | one-time |
| Energy Amplifier | $1.99 | one-time |
| Gold Booster | $1.99 | one-time |
| Pack of Sparks | $1.99 | one-time |
| Core Wormhole | $1.99 | one-time |
| Bag of Gold | $3.99 | one-time |
| Stack of Sparks | $3.99 | one-time |
| Rack of Sparks | $6.99 | one-time |
| Sack of Gold | $9.99 | one-time |
| Box of Gold | $19.99 | one-time |
| Chest of Gold | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Unique and fun gameplay
- 😊 Relaxing and addictive
- 🎨 Cute and creative alien designs
- 🕹️ Challenging and strategic

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 💰 Difficult to progress without in-app purchases
- 🕰️ Frustratingly slow progress
- 📺 Intrusive and excessive ads

**Reported bugs**

- Game freezes after watching ads
- Blitz mode score not increasing past 2.1 billion
- Alien evolution progress resets after updates

**Requested features**

- More difficulty levels or an easy mode
- Ability to save progress and resume games
- Expanded alien collection and evolution system
- Option to pay for ad-free experience


### Swarm Simulator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swarm-simulator-evolution/id1320056680)

Evolve your insect colony from simple larvae to powerful hive minds in this 3D incremental idle clicker game. Conquer territory, sacrifice units for growth, and ascend to unlock new mutations and expand your swarm across the universe.

**Highlights:** Incremental idle clicker gameplay, Endless progression and unit evolution, Idle mode for offline growth, Ascend system with new mutations, All-new 3D graphics and units, Elixir buffs and Golden Bug bonuses

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

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pouch of Crystals | $4.99 | one-time |
| Elixir Mega Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Swarm Supporter Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Bag of Crystals | $9.99 | one-time |
| Crystalline King Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Arcane Amplifier Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Super Shards Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Challenge Crusher Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Barrel of Crystals | $19.99 | one-time |
| Elixir Ultra Pack | $24.99 | one-time |
| Storehouse of Crystals | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and addictive gameplay
- 🚀 Smooth and responsive
- 💡 Unique incremental mechanics
- 🔒 Minimal ads, not intrusive

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and glitches in recent updates
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on launch
- Stuck on loading screen
- Incorrect display of resources and upgrades
- Issues with cloud save functionality

**Requested features**

- More content and updates
- Offline mode
- Customization options
- Improved progression and endgame


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Alien Hive free?

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

### Is Swarm Simulator free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Alien Hive or Swarm Simulator?

Swarm Simulator is rated higher. Alien Hive averages 4.6 out of 5 from 189 ratings, while Swarm Simulator averages 4.7 from 2.7K ratings.

### Do Alien Hive or Swarm Simulator have ads?

Both Alien Hive and Swarm Simulator show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Alien Hive or Swarm Simulator?

Alien Hive ships an update every 2 months, and Swarm Simulator every 9 days. Most recently, Alien Hive was updated on October 12, 2026 and Swarm Simulator on October 12, 2026.

---

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