# Bug Heroes vs Dockside Defense

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Bug Heroes at 13.0 against Dockside Defense's 15.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bug Heroes sells 13 one-off in-app purchases and Dockside Defense sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Bug Heroes ships an update every 9 days, Dockside Defense every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bug Heroes | Dockside Defense |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (3.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bug-heroes-tower-defense/id6447004057/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **3.3K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 76.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 1.3 GB | 138 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Foursaken Media](https://appshunter.io/developer/366197999) | [JUSTIN MICHAEL WILCOX](https://appshunter.io/developer/6801849092) |

## 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


### Dockside Defense

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dockside-defense/id6810773162)

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pocket Gems 80 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Reef Vault 500 | $7.99 | one-time |
| Ocean Trove 1200 | $14.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bug Heroes free?

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

### Is Dockside Defense free?

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

### Do Bug Heroes or Dockside Defense have ads?

Both Bug Heroes and Dockside Defense show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bug Heroes or Dockside Defense?

Bug Heroes ships an update every 9 days, and Dockside Defense every 8 days. Most recently, Bug Heroes was updated on October 30, 2026 and Dockside Defense on October 10, 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.*