# Bug Heroes vs Notebook Artillery

The clearest difference is price: Bug Heroes at Free against Notebook Artillery's $0.99. Bug Heroes also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.5) and ratings volume (3.3K vs 149). Notebook Artillery's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 13) and chart position (#66 vs unranked). On review sentiment, update cadence, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Bug Heroes is free to download; Notebook Artillery costs $0.99 up front. Bug Heroes sells 13 one-off in-app purchases. Notebook Artillery asks for nothing beyond the download.

Bug Heroes holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bug Heroes has 3.3K ratings behind it against 149, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 76% of Bug Heroes's written reviews are positive against 82% of Notebook Artillery's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Bug Heroes ships an update every 9 days, Notebook Artillery every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 30, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bug Heroes | Notebook Artillery |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $0.99 |
| Rating | **[4.9 (3.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bug-heroes-tower-defense/id6447004057/reviews)** | [4.5 (149 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notebook-artillery/id6497486112/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3.3K** | 149 |
| Positive reviews | 76.2% of reviews | **81.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#66** |
| Size | 1.3 GB | 115 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Foursaken Media](https://appshunter.io/developer/366197999) | [Austin Ivansmith](https://appshunter.io/developer/806084714) |

## What reviewers say

### Bug Heroes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bug-heroes-tower-defense/id6447004057)

Engage in a miniature war blending action, strategy, and tower defense. Control unique heroes, build diverse defenses, and upgrade your units to protect your territory. Explore a vast campaign or unleash your creativity in a custom level editor.

**Highlights:** Action-strategy tower defense blend, 11 unique Bug Heroes with distinct abilities, Dozens of unlockable tower types, Single player campaign across multiple environments, Robust level editor for custom battles, RPG-style progression with upgrades, Third-person hero control or classic overhead view

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

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Couple of Gems | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pile of Gems | $2.99 | one-time |
| Mug of Gems | $4.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Bag of Gems | $7.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $7.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $7.99 | one-time |
| Bucket of Gems | $9.99 | one-time |
| Premium Game+ | $9.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $14.99 | one-time |
| Box of Gems | $19.99 | one-time |
| Mountain of Gems | $49.99 | one-time |
| Man God Fortune | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fantastic gameplay
- 👍 Unique and engaging tower defense mechanics
- 🎨 Excellent graphics and visuals
- 🔊 Great sound design
- 🕹️ Enjoyable character control

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Aggressive monetization with frequent in-app purchase prompts
- 🔒 Limited progression without spending money
- 🐛 Performance issues and bugs in later levels
- 🕹️ Lack of controller support
- 🔍 Unbalanced difficulty spikes

**Reported bugs**

- Treasures spawning in unreachable locations
- Bugs causing towers to be destroyed too easily
- Freezing and performance drops in late-game

**Requested features**

- Multiplayer co-op mode
- More diverse hero and tower selection
- Expanded endgame content
- Improved balancing and difficulty curve
- Controller support


### Notebook Artillery

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notebook-artillery/id6497486112)

**Currently charting:** #66 Top Paid · Casual, #121 Top Paid · Action (US App Store)

Engage in strategic cannon combat with this arcade-simulation-action game. Adjust firing angle and powder to hit targets or opponents, accounting for wind and random stage layouts. Features hand-drawn art and multiple game modes.

**Highlights:** Adjust firing angle and powder, Account for wind and stage layouts, Solo target practice mode, CPU opponent, Local multiplayer vs mode, Hand-drawn game art, Unlockable stickers

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Engaging gameplay
- 👍 Charming hand-drawn visuals
- 🎨 Creative twist on artillery games
- 💡 Simple yet effective mechanics
- 🕹️ Satisfying challenge of mastering angles and power

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔁 Repetitive gameplay
- 🤖 Erratic AI behavior
- 🕹️ Controls could be improved for one-handed play
- 🎨 Pixelated terrain graphics
- 🕹️ Lacking difficulty settings or progression

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on iOS 12 and 13 on iPad Pro
- Inconsistent animation speeds

**Requested features**

- Online multiplayer
- Campaign mode with objectives
- Weapon/tower upgrades
- Customization options
- Special game modes (speed run, boss battles, etc.)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bug Heroes free?

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

### Is Notebook Artillery free?

Notebook Artillery costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Bug Heroes or Notebook Artillery?

Bug Heroes is rated higher. Bug Heroes averages 4.9 out of 5 from 3.3K ratings, while Notebook Artillery averages 4.5 from 149 ratings.

### Do Bug Heroes or Notebook Artillery have ads?

Both Bug Heroes and Notebook Artillery show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bug Heroes or Notebook Artillery?

Bug Heroes ships an update every 9 days, and Notebook Artillery every 2 weeks. Most recently, Bug Heroes was updated on October 30, 2026 and Notebook Artillery on October 30, 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.*