# Dragon Survival vs Cairn

The clearest difference is ads: Cairn at none against Dragon Survival's shown. On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Dragon Survival sells 37 one-off in-app purchases and Cairn sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Dragon Survival ships an update every 2 weeks, Cairn every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dragon Survival | Cairn |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (357 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dragon-survival/id6453701946/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **357** | — |
| Positive reviews | 61.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 11 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 935 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [AlchemistGames](https://appshunter.io/developer/1547581279) | [Branko Borota](https://appshunter.io/developer/1228658475) |

## What reviewers say

### Dragon Survival

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dragon-survival/id6453701946)

Defend your village from monster attacks using legendary dragons. Combine infinite skills and dragon abilities to become the last survivor. Evade enemies with a dash function and face over 50 unique bosses.

**Highlights:** Infinite skill combinations, 24 types of dragon skills, Dash function for survival, Over 50 unique bosses, Weapon performance enhancement

**In-app purchases (37)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Must-Need Package! | $0.99 | one-time |
| Daily Package 2 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Welcome Box 1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Beginner Growth Package | $1.99 | one-time |
| Nameless One | $2.99 | one-time |
| Magician of Wisdom | $2.99 | one-time |
| Stage 3 Growth Package | $2.99 | one-time |
| Greedy Nine Tailed Fox | $2.99 | one-time |
| The Devourer | $2.99 | one-time |
| Berserker of Fury | $2.99 | one-time |
| Lazy Dark Lord | $2.99 | one-time |
| Stage 2 Growth Package | $2.99 | one-time |
| Stage 4 Growth Package | $3.99 | one-time |
| Welcome Box 2 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Stage 5 Growth Package | $3.99 | one-time |
| Stage 6 Growth Package | $4.99 | one-time |
| Premium Monthly Plan | $4.99 | one-time |
| Stage 7 Growth Package | $4.99 | one-time |
| Mokoji Package | $5.99 | one-time |
| Special Lv. 1 Support | $5.99 | one-time |
| Permanent Ad Removal | $5.99 | one-time |
| Welcome Box 3 | $5.99 | one-time |
| Dragon Pass | $6.99 | one-time |
| Durun Package | $6.99 | one-time |
| Advanced Monthly Plan | $9.99 | one-time |
| Roulette Event Package 8 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Roulette Event Package 10 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Daily Package 4 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Weekly Package 2 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Special Lv. 3 Support | $12.99 | one-time |
| 7-Day Event Package | $12.99 | one-time |
| Super-Special Lv. 1 Support | $17.99 | one-time |
| Dragon Pass PLUS | $17.99 | one-time |
| 3,000 Gems | $24.99 | one-time |
| 6,000 Gems | $49.99 | one-time |
| Monthly Package 3 | $69.99 | one-time |
| 13,000 Gems | $89.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Engaging survivor-like gameplay mechanics
- 🐉 Attractive dragon designs and IP integration
- ⏸️ Ability to pause and resume runs seamlessly
- 🎯 Multiple playstyles and build variety
- ⚡ Smooth gameplay rhythm and feel

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Predatory monetization and pay-to-win mechanics
- 💸 Excessive grinding required for progression
- 🔒 Overly restrictive tutorial forcing player decisions
- 📱 Frequent crashes on older devices
- 🌐 Network connectivity issues and loading problems

**Reported bugs**

- Game stuck on loading screen with network error
- Update prompt appears but no update available
- Blue screen appears after using back button
- Game crashes 1-3 minutes into runs
- Crashes on iOS 14.3

**Requested features**

- Add more dragon characters
- Controller support (Xbox, etc.)
- Visible gear/equipment on character model
- Additional equipment types (pendants, rings)
- Endless mode or free energy grinding options


### Cairn

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cairn-stone-stack/id6782169883)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Coffee | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Dragon Survival free?

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

### Is Cairn free?

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

### Do Dragon Survival or Cairn have ads?

Dragon Survival shows ads; Cairn does not.

### Which is updated more often, Dragon Survival or Cairn?

Dragon Survival ships an update every 2 weeks, and Cairn every 11 days. Most recently, Dragon Survival was updated on October 7, 2026 and Cairn on September 24, 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.*