Comparison

Covenant vs Subnautica

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Covenant

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Covenant: Project Zero is a sci-fi action adventure space opera set in a distant future ruled by massive interstellar corporations. You play as the fearless, crafty, and resourceful Captain John Covenant, leading your scrappy crew across the universe on an epic quest to unveil the past, survive the present and determine the future of humankind. The game blends stylized pixel art with immersive 3D environments for a truly retro 2.5D feel. Explore Covenant's universe taking advantage of a simple and intuitive control scheme on your mobile devices. Fight villains, solve puzzles, and interact with a cast of witty characters along the way and save the world!

About

Subnautica

Explore a vast alien ocean planet, craft equipment, pilot submarines, and uncover mysteries to survive. This open-world adventure offers multiple game modes for different playstyles.

Highlights
  • Underwater exploration
  • Crafting and base building
  • Submarine piloting
  • Survival mechanics
  • Multiple game modes
  • Alien ocean planet setting
Read full description

*Make sure to check if your device is supported before playing Subnautica!* Subnautica is an underwater adventure game set on an alien ocean planet. A massive, open world full of wonder and peril awaits you! Descend into the depths, craft equipment, pilot submarines and out-smart wildlife to explore lush coral reefs, volcanoes, cave systems, and more - all while trying to survive. Unravel the mystery of this world teeming with creatures, both friendly and hostile, scattered with clues from a previous time. Play in Survival mode to experience the original challenge, or switch to Freedom or Creative mode to discover this oceanic planet without the pressures of thirst, hunger, or oxygen. FEATURES • SURVIVE - After crash landing on a vast underwater planet, the clock is ticking to find water, food, and to develop the equipment you need to explore. • EXPLORE - Manage your hunger, thirst, and oxygen supply as you dive into towering kelp forests, sunlit plateaus, bio-luminescent reefs, and winding cave systems. • SCAVENGE - Collect resources from the ocean around you. Venture deeper and further to find rarer resources, allowing you to craft more advanced items. • CRAFT - Build bases to shelter in, vehicles to pilot, tools for survival to aid you in navigating and adapting to this subaquatic landscape. • DISCOVER - What happened to this planet? What caused you to crash? Can you find a way to make it off the planet alive? • CUSTOMIZE - Play in Survival mode to experience the original challenge, or switch to Freedom or Creative mode to discover this oceanic planet without the pressures of thirst, hunger, or oxygen. CAREFULLY REDESIGNED FOR MOBILE • Revamped interface – exclusive mobile UI with complete touch control • Game Center achievements • Cloud Save – Share your progress between iOS devices • Compatible with MFi controllers • iPhone 16 Optimization (including Pro Max) ----- *DEVICES NOT SUPPORTED (THE GAME WON'T WORK)*: - iPhone Xr, iPhone SE Gen 2 (2020) - iPad Mini Gen 5, iPad Air Gen 3, iPad Gen 8, iPad Gen 9 *SUPPORTED DEVICES ON LOW RESOLUTION ONLY*: - iPhone Xs, iPhone Xs Max, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Mini, iPhone SE Gen 3 (2022) - iPad Pro 10.5", iPad Mini Gen 6, iPad Air Gen 4, iPad Gen 10, iPad Pro 11" Gen 1, iPad Pro 12.9" Gen 3 *SUPPORTED DEVICES* : - iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPhone 14 AND ABOVE - iPad Pro 11" Gen 2, iPad Pro 12.9" Gen 4, iPad Air Gen 5, iPad Pro 11" Gen 3, iPad Pro 11" Gen 4, iPad Pro 12.9" Gen 5, iPad Pro 12.9" Gen 6 AND ABOVE

Screenshots

Covenant3 screens
Subnautica4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Covenant at $3.99 against Subnautica's $8.99. Covenant also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Subnautica's advantage is update cadence (every 8 days vs monthly) and chart position (#11 vs unranked). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Covenant costs $3.99 and Subnautica $8.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Covenant ships an update monthly, Subnautica every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Covenant versus Subnautica: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCovenantSubnautica
Price$3.99 — better$8.99
Rating—4.6 (1.2K ratings) — better
Positive reviews—82.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1.2K — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 8 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Paid
Best chart rank—#11 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size1.4 GB2.2 GB
Age rating12+9+
Developer11000AD LLCUnknown Worlds

Bugs and requests

Covenant

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Subnautica

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Sound cuts out after using the seaglide
  • Reapers and ghost leviathans not spawning properly

Requested features

2 requests
  • Support for iPad and Mac devices
  • Improved integration with iOS features

In-app purchases

None

Covenant

No in-app purchases

None

Subnautica

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Covenant free?
Covenant costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Subnautica free?
Subnautica costs $8.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Covenant or Subnautica have ads?
Neither Covenant nor Subnautica shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Covenant or Subnautica?
Covenant ships an update monthly, and Subnautica every 8 days. Most recently, Covenant was updated on October 27, 2026 and Subnautica on November 6, 2026.

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