# Aether Gazer vs Stella Sora

The clearest difference is rating: Aether Gazer at 4.3 against Stella Sora's 3.3. Aether Gazer also leads on review sentiment (56% vs 39%). Stella Sora's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Aether Gazer sells 11 one-off in-app purchases and Stella Sora sells 17 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 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.3K and 725 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 56% of Aether Gazer's written reviews are positive against 39% of Stella Sora's.

Aether Gazer ships an update every 3 months, Stella Sora every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Aether Gazer | Stella Sora |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aether-gazer/id6445892204/reviews)** | [3.3 (725 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stella-sora/id6738407069/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.3K** | 725 |
| Positive reviews | **56.5% of reviews** | 39.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 4 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 3.9 GB | 3.3 GB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 13.0.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [HONG KONG YONGSHI NETWORK TECHNOLOGY CO., LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1798143269) | [YOSTAR LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1411126548) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Stella Sora

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stella-sora/id6738407069)

Embark on a light-action fantasy adventure as the Tyrant, forging bonds with charming companions. Assemble diverse teams, make impactful choices, and conquer challenging Monoliths with randomized perks and varied gameplay modes. Your legacy awaits in a world where fantasy meets retro.

**Highlights:** Top-down light-action combat, Form bonds with charming characters, Assemble diverse three-person teams, Branching narrative choices, Randomized perks each run, Multiple game modes, Retro-meets-fantasy aesthetic

**In-app purchases (17)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Departure: Welcome Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Everbright Wishes: Ascent | $1.99 | one-time |
| Departure: Trekker Choice Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Everbright Wishes | $4.99 | one-time |
| Weekly: Trekker Boost Pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| Startup Pass - Elite Grant | $8.99 | one-time |
| Departure: Cerulean Ticket Set | $9.99 | one-time |
| Fortune: Cerulean Ticket Set | $14.99 | one-time |
| Gold Disc Set | $14.99 | one-time |
| Startup Pass - Royal Grant | $14.99 | one-time |
| Cerulean Ticket Set | $14.99 | one-time |
| Stella Sora Outfit | $14.99 | one-time |
| Wishing: Cerulean Ticket Set | $17.99 | one-time |
| Ticket Value Set | $22.99 | one-time |
| Deluxe Ticket Set | $32.99 | one-time |
| Deluxe Disc Set | $32.99 | one-time |
| 8,500 Stellanite Lumina | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ❤️ Cute and relaxing art style
- 🎨 Interesting characters and cool attacks
- 🎮 Smooth and enjoyable gameplay

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive gacha system with poor currency rewards
- 🔒 Greedy and predatory monetization practices
- ⏱️ Lack of content and fast burnout
- 🤔 Confusing character progression system

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes and compatibility issues
- Unclear or misleading information

**Requested features**

- Improve gacha rates and currency rewards
- Increase content and progression depth
- Add more quality-of-life features


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Aether Gazer free?

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

### Is Stella Sora free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Aether Gazer or Stella Sora?

Aether Gazer is rated higher. Aether Gazer averages 4.3 out of 5 from 1.3K ratings, while Stella Sora averages 3.3 from 725 ratings.

### Do Aether Gazer or Stella Sora have ads?

Aether Gazer shows ads; Stella Sora does not.

### Which is updated more often, Aether Gazer or Stella Sora?

Aether Gazer ships an update every 3 months, and Stella Sora every 4 weeks. Most recently, Aether Gazer was updated on September 23, 2026 and Stella Sora on September 22, 2026.

---

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