# Ingress vs Strut

The clearest difference is rating: Ingress at 4.5 against Strut's 3.7. Ingress also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 months) and ratings volume (5.4K vs 67). Strut's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 8) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Ingress sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Strut asks for nothing beyond the download.

Ingress holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ingress has 5.4K ratings behind it against 67, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 45% of Ingress's written reviews are positive against 48% of Strut's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Ingress ships an update every 3 weeks, Strut every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and September 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ingress | Strut |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (5.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ingress/id576505181/reviews)** | [3.7 (67 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/strut/id606686716/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5.4K** | 67 |
| Positive reviews | 45.4% of reviews | **48.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 397 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Niantic Spatial, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1807920956) | [Thickpolicy LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/374216102) |

## What reviewers say

### Ingress

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ingress/id576505181)

Explore the real world as a battlefield in this augmented reality game. Choose a faction, discover hidden energy sources, and collaborate with others to control territories and influence the future of humanity. Your mission begins now.

**Highlights:** Explore real-world locations, Augmented reality gameplay, Choose between two factions, Capture and link virtual portals, Form teams and plan strategies, Participate in live global events

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| C.O.R.E. Monthly | $7.99 | per month |
| 1,200 CMU | $0.99 | one-time |
| 2,500 CMU Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| 7,000 CMU Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| 15,000 CMU Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| 32,000 CMU Pack | $19.99 | one-time |
| 90,000 CMU Pack | $49.99 | one-time |
| 200,000 CMU Pack | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fantastic game concept
- 👍 Great for getting exercise and exploring
- 🌈 Enjoyable community and social aspects
- 💡 Innovative location-based gameplay

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent bugs and crashes
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🤖 Concerns about stalking and harassment from other players
- 🤔 Confusing or cluttered user interface in newer versions

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues and account problems
- Inaccurate location tracking and portal detection
- Inventory management and recharging bugs
- Incompatibility with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Ability to change factions without contacting support
- Better portal nomination and review process
- More in-game events and community activities
- Improved performance and stability on older devices


### Strut

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/strut/id606686716)

Explore the world by uncovering billions of virtual tiles on a global map. Track your travels by any means of transport, discover new routes, and compete with others on leaderboards. Earn medals and level up as you open up your world.

**Highlights:** Uncover billions of world tiles, Track all forms of travel, Explore surroundings and new routes, Compete on global leaderboards, Earn medals and level up, Apple Watch integration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🗺️ Innovative tile-based map exploration concept
- 👍 Well-designed, polished user interface
- 🎮 Gamification encourages exploration and travel
- 🚶 Motivates users to discover new places and routes
- 💰 Free app with optional donations

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔋 Severe battery drain and excessive heat generation
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and instability
- 📱 Background tracking stops or becomes unreliable
- 🔄 Slow server performance and syncing issues
- ❌ Abandoned development with infrequent updates

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on login, especially with Facebook/Twitter authentication
- Background tracking stops randomly and requires app restart
- Pending sync tiles accumulate and never fully sync
- Tiles lost during phone transfers or account recovery
- Medal and achievement counts not updating

**Requested features**

- Battery optimization and GPS efficiency improvements
- Background tracking that works reliably
- Apple Watch app with full map functionality
- External GPS device support (Bluetooth GPS pucks)
- GPX file import/export capability


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ingress free?

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

### Is Strut free?

Strut is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Ingress or Strut?

Ingress is rated higher. Ingress averages 4.5 out of 5 from 5.4K ratings, while Strut averages 3.7 from 67 ratings.

### Do Ingress or Strut have ads?

Neither Ingress nor Strut shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Ingress or Strut?

Ingress ships an update every 3 weeks, and Strut every 6 months. Most recently, Ingress was updated on September 30, 2026 and Strut on September 7, 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.*