Comparison

Swashteroids vs Vector

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

Head to head
About

Swashteroids

Pilot a spaceship to mine asteroids for treasure while fending off aliens. Utilize power-ups for enhanced combat and navigation. This fast-paced, retro arcade experience offers multiple control options and increasing difficulty.

Highlights
  • Retro arcade gameplay
  • Asteroid mining and treasure collection
  • Alien combat
  • Power-ups for combat and navigation
  • Multiple control options (on-screen, accelerometer, controller)
  • Increasing difficulty with levels
Features
Read full description

Take command of the USS Swashbuckler in Swashteroids, a fast-paced retro vector arcade game where every asteroid field hides danger—and treasure. Mine asteroids, collect valuable cargo, and fight off alien workers and soldiers that want the loot for themselves. Each cleared field brings a tougher level, faster hazards, and more relentless enemies. Power up your ship with: • Plasma torpedoes and long-range phasers • Shields for protection • Hyperspace for emergency escapes • Phasing to pass safely through hazards • X-Ray vision to reveal treasure-bearing asteroids Master Newtonian spaceflight using on-screen controls, tilt steering, or a compatible game controller. A guided Training mode teaches every control and mechanic. Compete across five leaderboards, earn an extra ship every 5,000 points, and record your greatest runs. Watch replays, adjust their playback speed, and share .swrep replay files with friends. Swashteroids is small, fast, and built for quick arcade sessions on iPhone and iPad. How long can the USS Swashbuckler survive?

About

Vector

Pilot a glowing ship through an escalating field of geometric enemies in this one-thumb neon shooter. Master momentum and precision to survive the swarm, collect power-ups, and defeat challenging bosses. Compete for the top score on global leaderboards.

Highlights
  • One-handed joystick controls
  • Momentum-driven movement
  • Automatic directional shooting
  • Procedural enemy waves
  • Tactical power-up system
  • Boss battles
  • Leaderboards and achievements
Features
Read full description

Find your flow. Survive the swarm. Vector: Arcade Survival is a one-thumb neon shooter built around momentum, precision, and the irresistible pull of one more run. Pilot a glowing vector ship through an escalating field of geometric enemies. Thrust to steer, line up your approach, and fire automatically when targets enter your sights. Every movement is a choice: drift through danger, redirect at the last second, or turn your momentum into the perfect attack. GRAB POWER UPS Collect Damage, Rapid Fire, Slow Motion, and Shield boosts. Activate them when you need an edge and manage their remaining charge through the run. MASTER THE SWARM Face enemy formations with distinct behaviors—from triangle chains and magnetic squares to perimeter shooters and relentless pursuers. BREAK THE BOSSES Survive periodic octagon boss battles featuring sweeping lasers and guided rockets you can dodge or shoot down. CHASE THE SCORE Build fast kill combos, earn hull repairs as the waves climb, unlock Game Center achievements, and compete on global and friends leaderboards. FEATURES • One-handed joystick controls • Momentum-driven zero-gravity movement • Automatic directional shooting • Escalating procedural waves • Tactical power-up bank • Boss battles and destructible rockets • Game Center leaderboards and achievements • Original music, sound effects, and haptics • Designed for iPhone and iPad • Controller compatible How long can you hold the line?

Screenshots

Swashteroids3 screens
Vector4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Vector at Free against Swashteroids's $0.99. Vector also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 10 days). Swashteroids's advantage is ratings volume (8 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.0). On rating, 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

Vector is free to download; Swashteroids costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Swashteroids against 5.0 for Vector. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Swashteroids has 8 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Swashteroids ships an update every 10 days, Vector every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Swashteroids versus Vector: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSwashteroidsVector
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (8 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings8 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 10 daysEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB7 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperJohn NyquistERIC JAY MORRISON

In-app purchases

None

Swashteroids

No in-app purchases

None

Vector

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Swashteroids free?
Swashteroids costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Vector free?
Vector is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Swashteroids or Vector?
Swashteroids and Vector are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 8 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do Swashteroids or Vector have ads?
Neither Swashteroids nor Vector shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Swashteroids or Vector?
Swashteroids ships an update every 10 days, and Vector every 2 days. Most recently, Swashteroids was updated on November 4, 2026 and Vector on November 6, 2026.

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