# TapKO vs Cursed Carnival

The clearest difference is update cadence: Cursed Carnival at every 3 weeks against TapKO's every 3 months. TapKO's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. TapKO sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Cursed Carnival sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

TapKO ships an update every 3 months, Cursed Carnival every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | TapKO | Cursed Carnival |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.4 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tapko/id6444713754/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **8** | — |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 306 MB | 677 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Halfbrick Studios](https://appshunter.io/developer/356994313) | [Illan Knafou](https://appshunter.io/developer/6778859713) |

## What reviewers say

### TapKO

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tapko/id6444713754)

Tap and punch your way to victory in this knockout idle boxing game. Train your fighter, face formidable opponents, and watch the competition pile up. Enjoy uninterrupted gameplay with no ads or in-app purchases as you become the ultimate boxer.

**Highlights:** Rapid fire punching mechanics, Fighter stat upgrades (strength, defense, speed, health), Variety of formidable opponents, Auto-punch feature, Exclusive Halfbrick+ membership content, Early Access gameplay

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Halfbrick+ | $2.99 | per month |
| Halfbrick+ (Early Adopters) | $2.99 | per month |
| Halfbrick+ (Trial) | $2.99 | per month |
| Halfbrick+ (Yearly discount) | $2.99 | per month |
| Halfbrick+ | $29.99 | per year |
| Halfbrick+ | $29.99 | per year |
| Halfbrick+ | $99.99 | one-time |


### Cursed Carnival

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cursed-carnival/id6807943973)

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 100 Gems | $0.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| 300 Gems | $2.99 | one-time |
| Barker's Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| 800 Gems | $5.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is TapKO free?

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

### Is Cursed Carnival free?

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

### Do TapKO or Cursed Carnival have ads?

Both TapKO and Cursed Carnival show ads.

### Which is updated more often, TapKO or Cursed Carnival?

TapKO ships an update every 3 months, and Cursed Carnival every 3 weeks. Most recently, TapKO was updated on October 20, 2026 and Cursed Carnival on October 29, 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.*