# Idle Obelisk Miner vs Arcbound

The clearest difference is monetization model: Arcbound at free against Idle Obelisk Miner's free with in-app purchases. Arcbound also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 5 days). Idle Obelisk Miner's advantage is ratings volume (3.9K vs 2) and chart position (#24 vs unranked). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Idle Obelisk Miner sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Arcbound sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Idle Obelisk Miner against 5.0 for Arcbound. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Idle Obelisk Miner has 3.9K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Idle Obelisk Miner ships an update every 5 days, Arcbound every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Idle Obelisk Miner | Arcbound |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (3.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-obelisk-miner/id6448125670/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcbound/id6759814990/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3.9K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 92.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#24** | — |
| Size | 60 MB | 336 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Checkbox Entertainment](https://appshunter.io/developer/1683568307) | [Dean Lennard](https://appshunter.io/developer/1880870293) |

## What reviewers say

### Idle Obelisk Miner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-obelisk-miner/id6448125670)

**Currently charting:** #24 Top Grossing · Simulation, #61 Top Grossing · Casual, #181 Top Grossing · Games (US App Store)

An idle clicker game where you mine rocks, craft items, and progress through extensive upgrade trees. Engage in both active and idle gameplay with drones and auto-bombing, and unlock powerful artifacts through prestige.

**Highlights:** Obelisk challenges for rewards, Extensive upgrade trees, Bomb mechanics and upgrades, Active and idle gameplay modes, Prestige system with artifacts, Hold-to-tap mining, Completion percentage tracking

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Drone Value Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Unlocks Megabomb! | $1.99 | one-time |
| Unlocks Transmuter Bomb! | $2.99 | one-time |
| Limited Sale 1 | $6.99 | one-time |
| Mythic Gift Pack | $6.99 | one-time |
| Skill Surge Bundle | $6.99 | one-time |
| 2x Bar Income + 3x Bomb Dmg | $9.99 | one-time |
| Investment Package | $12.99 | one-time |
| 2x Ore and PP Income | $12.99 | one-time |
| Founders Bundle | $24.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Ad-free experience
- 👍 Generous with free currency
- 🚀 Engaging gameplay loop
- 👍 Active and helpful community
- 🚀 Frequent content updates

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes
- ⏳ Slow progression at later stages
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 📱 Limited offline progress

**Reported bugs**

- Inconsistent drop rates on certain floors
- Upgrade costs not clearly displayed
- Drone fuel timer not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Improved cloud save/cross-device sync
- More offline progression options
- Expanded stats and analytics
- Additional mini-games or side activities


### Arcbound

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcbound/id6759814990)

Design and manage a colony ship as it journeys through deep space. Guide your crew through resource management, social dynamics, and dangerous missions. Build a self-sustaining civilization within a single, evolving starship.

**Highlights:** Grid-based ship construction, Simulated resource networks, Crew needs and relationships, Consequence-driven missions, Research new technologies, Societal stability management, Emergent storytelling

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Arcbound - Early Access | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Idle Obelisk Miner free?

Idle Obelisk Miner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Arcbound free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Idle Obelisk Miner or Arcbound?

Arcbound is rated higher. Idle Obelisk Miner averages 4.9 out of 5 from 3.9K ratings, while Arcbound averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Idle Obelisk Miner or Arcbound have ads?

Neither Idle Obelisk Miner nor Arcbound shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Idle Obelisk Miner or Arcbound?

Idle Obelisk Miner ships an update every 5 days, and Arcbound every 2 days. Most recently, Idle Obelisk Miner was updated on November 8, 2026 and Arcbound on October 31, 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.*