# Crunchyroll vs Howl

Crunchyroll and Howl both sit at 4.4 stars, but that hides the real split: 78% of Howl's written reviews are positive against 33% of Crunchyroll's. Howl also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (63 vs 8). Crunchyroll's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Crunchyroll sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $13.99 per month and Howl sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Crunchyroll holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Howl has 63 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 33% of Crunchyroll's written reviews are positive against 78% of Howl's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Crunchyroll ships an update every 2 months, Howl every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 15, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Crunchyroll | Howl |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crunchyroll-wolfstride/id6457516405/reviews)** | [4.2 (63 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/howl/id6472719961/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 8 | **63** |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | **78.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 2.4 GB | 477 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Crunchyroll, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/329913457) | [astragon Entertainment GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/433152241) |

## What reviewers say

### Crunchyroll

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crunchyroll-wolfstride/id6457516405)

A turn-based strategy RPG where you pilot giant mechas in an elite tournament. Explore a city, manage your mecha, and uncover a story of past choices and fate.

**Highlights:** Turn-based mecha battles, Explore Rain City, Mecha customization and repair, Intuitive touch and controller support, Multiple supported languages, Story-driven RPG elements

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mega Fan  Monthly | $13.99 | per month |


### Howl

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/howl/id6472719961)

Engage in turn-based tactical combat within a dark fairy-tale world threatened by a mysterious plague. Play as a deaf heroine who can foresee enemy moves, utilizing unique arrows and skills to defeat beasts. Explore beautifully illustrated environments and uncover secrets.

**Highlights:** Turn-based tactical combat, Foretell enemy moves, Variety of arrow types, Unlockable skills and upgrades, Living ink art style, Multiple chapters and levels, Save villagers

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Upgrade to Full Version | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Beautiful art style and visual design
- 🎵 Excellent music and sound design
- 🧩 Engaging turn-based strategy gameplay
- 🎯 Creative puzzle mechanics with multiple solutions
- 📖 Compelling story and atmosphere

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 UI elements covering action cards on left screen edge
- 📱 Text too small on mobile devices
- 🌍 Limited language localization options
- ⏱️ Game length feels short for the price
- 💾 Save progress issues and data loss

**Reported bugs**

- Arrow card hidden by sidebar UI on left screen edge
- Text bubbles blocking enemy action information
- Save data not persisting after app closure
- UI elements too small to read on iPhone
- Tooltip descriptions not displaying correctly

**Requested features**

- Movable text bubbles to prevent obstruction
- Character gender/pronoun customization
- More levels and expanded content
- Language localization (Vietnamese, German, etc.)
- UI scaling for smaller phones


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Crunchyroll free?

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

### Is Howl free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Crunchyroll or Howl?

Crunchyroll is rated higher. Crunchyroll averages 4.4 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Howl averages 4.2 from 63 ratings.

### Do Crunchyroll or Howl have ads?

Neither Crunchyroll nor Howl shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Crunchyroll or Howl?

Crunchyroll ships an update every 2 months, and Howl every 3 weeks. Most recently, Crunchyroll was updated on October 15, 2026 and Howl on October 15, 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.*