# Blue Archive (12) vs Aether Gazer

The clearest difference is ads: Blue Archive (12) at none against Aether Gazer's shown. Blue Archive (12) also leads on review sentiment (74% vs 57%) and update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 4 months). Aether Gazer's advantage is ratings volume (1.3K vs 93). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Blue Archive (12) sells 61 one-off in-app purchases and Aether Gazer sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Aether Gazer holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Aether Gazer has 1.3K ratings behind it against 93, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 74% of Blue Archive (12)'s written reviews are positive against 57% of Aether Gazer's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Blue Archive (12) ships an update every 5 weeks, Aether Gazer every 4 months. Both last shipped on October 27, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Blue Archive (12) | Aether Gazer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (93 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blue-archive-12/id6443698027/reviews) | **[4.3 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aether-gazer/id6445892204/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 93 | **1.3K** |
| Positive reviews | **74.2% of reviews** | 56.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 426 MB | 3.9 GB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [NEXON Company](https://appshunter.io/developer/523546006) | [HONG KONG YONGSHI NETWORK TECHNOLOGY CO., LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1798143269) |

## What reviewers say

### Blue Archive (12)

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blue-archive-12/id6443698027)

Lead charming allies in 3D real-time battles within a vast academy city. Build bonds with characters through in-game interactions and uncover their secrets. Experience an unpredictable story filled with friendship, love, and thrilling military action.

**Highlights:** 3D real-time battles, Strategic team leadership, Character bonding and interaction, In-game messenger (Momo Talk), Unpredictable main story, Relationship and sub stories

**In-app purchases (61)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| New Sensei Welcome Pack | $0.39 | one-time |
| Activity Report Support Pack | $0.39 | one-time |
| Tactical Blu-ray Support Pack | $0.79 | one-time |
| Tech Notes Support Pack | $0.79 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| New Teacher Pyroxene Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pyroxene x120 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Steel Continent AP Boost Pack I | $0.99 | one-time |
| HalfMonthly PyroxenePack(Lite) | $0.99 | one-time |
| New Sensei Furniture Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Sheside outside AP BoostPack I | $0.99 | one-time |
| aLIVE! AP Boost Pack I | $0.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack Ⅱ | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pyroxene x60 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Weekly AP Pack | $1.69 | one-time |
| 2-Week AP Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Monthly Pyroxene Half Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Recruitment Support Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Sheside outside APBoostPack II | $2.99 | one-time |
| Tech Notes Choice Ticket Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Pyroxene x352 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Growth Pack | $6.99 | one-time |
| Monthly Pyroxene Pack | $6.99 | one-time |
| Growth Pack Ⅲ | $6.99 | one-time |
| Pyroxene x784 | $6.99 | one-time |
| Pyroxene x660 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Pyroxene x1184 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Monthly Gift Craft Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| StartDash 3-Star Ticket | $11.99 | one-time |
| Weekly Activity Report Pack | $11.99 | one-time |
| SteelContinentAttendanceCelebration | $11.99 | one-time |
| Sheside outside Credit Pack | $11.99 | one-time |
| Weekly Equipment Pack IV | $11.99 | one-time |
| Weekly Equipment Pack Ⅵ | $11.99 | one-time |
| Weekly Activity Report Pack Ⅱ | $11.99 | one-time |
| StartDash 3-Star Ticket Ⅱ | $11.99 | one-time |
| Weekly Equipment Pack II | $11.99 | one-time |
| Pyroxene x1350 | $18.99 | one-time |
| 3-Star Selective Recruit Pack | $18.99 | one-time |
| Pyroxene x2352 | $18.99 | one-time |
| 3-Star Guaranteed Recruit Pack | $18.99 | one-time |
| HiddenRuins 3Start Select Pack | $18.99 | one-time |
| Lore Pursuit Eleph Choice Pack | $18.99 | one-time |
| Decagrammaton ElephPack(3S Regular) | $18.99 | one-time |
| Promise 3-Star Selective Pack | $18.99 | one-time |
| Railroad 3-Star Guarant Pack | $18.99 | one-time |
| Midnight Party LuckyPouchPack | $18.99 | one-time |
| Sheside 3-Star Guaranteed Pack | $18.99 | one-time |
| Sheside 3-Star Selective Pack | $18.99 | one-time |
| aLIVE! 3-Star Guaranteed Pack | $18.99 | one-time |
| aLIVE! Trinity SkillGrowthPack | $18.99 | one-time |
| aLIVE! 3-Star Selective Pack | $18.99 | one-time |
| aLIVE! Lucky Pouch Pack | $18.99 | one-time |
| 3-Star DivisionRecruitmentPack | $18.99 | one-time |
| CyberSpringtime LuckyPouchPack | $18.99 | one-time |
| Battle Pass (CH. Growth+) II | $21.99 | one-time |
| Pyroxene x3920 | $31.99 | one-time |
| Pyroxene x4800 | $64.99 | one-time |
| Pyroxene x6600 | $64.99 | one-time |
| Monthly Pyroxene x6,600 | $64.99 | one-time |
| Pyroxene x8000 | $64.99 | one-time |


### Aether Gazer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aether-gazer/id6445892204)

Engage in fast-paced combat within a sci-fi anime world where humanity's consciousness resides in an AI orbiting Earth. Battle viruses threatening this digital paradise by customizing characters, building combos, and strategically forming squads to save humanity's future.

**Highlights:** Fast-paced action combat, Character skill customization, Squad building and combos, Explore a dystopian world, Premium character design, Immersive soundtrack

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 60 Shifting Flowers | $0.99 | one-time |
| C-Obs | $4.99 | one-time |
| 490 Shifting Flowers | $7.99 | one-time |
| Advanced Contract | $9.99 | one-time |
| $14.99 Pack | $14.99 | one-time |
| 990 Shifting Flowers | $14.99 | one-time |
| Outfit Voucher2 | $14.99 | one-time |
| Acumen Contract | $18.99 | one-time |
| 1990 Shifting Flowers | $29.99 | one-time |
| 2990 Shifting Flowers | $44.99 | one-time |
| 6000 Shifting Flowers | $89.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth gameplay
- 👍 Generous free-to-play model
- 🎨 Beautiful character designs
- 🎮 Engaging combat mechanics
- 💎 Rewarding gacha system

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔌 Performance issues on some devices
- 🕹️ Lack of controller support
- 📚 Confusing tutorial and UI
- 🌐 Lack of Chinese language support

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes during boss fights
- Inability to progress past certain story missions
- Graphical glitches and visual bugs
- Login and connection issues
- Gacha and purchase-related bugs

**Requested features**

- Add Chinese language support
- Improve controller compatibility
- Enhance tutorial and onboarding
- Optimize performance for older devices
- Introduce more endgame content


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Blue Archive (12) free?

Blue Archive (12) is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Aether Gazer free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Blue Archive (12) or Aether Gazer?

Aether Gazer is rated higher. Blue Archive (12) averages 4.2 out of 5 from 93 ratings, while Aether Gazer averages 4.3 from 1.3K ratings.

### Do Blue Archive (12) or Aether Gazer have ads?

Aether Gazer shows ads; Blue Archive (12) does not.

### Which is updated more often, Blue Archive (12) or Aether Gazer?

Blue Archive (12) ships an update every 5 weeks, and Aether Gazer every 4 months. Most recently, Blue Archive (12) was updated on October 27, 2026 and Aether Gazer on October 27, 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.*