# Finalist vs TownsFolk

The clearest difference is rating: TownsFolk at 4.7 against Finalist's 4.0. TownsFolk also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (3.2K vs 3). Finalist's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). On price, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. TownsFolk sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Finalist asks for nothing beyond the download.

TownsFolk holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: TownsFolk has 3.2K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of Finalist's written reviews are positive against 73% of TownsFolk's.

Finalist ships an update every 2 months, TownsFolk weekly. The most recent releases landed on July 25, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Finalist | TownsFolk |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/finalist/id6502301145/reviews) | **[4.7 (3.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/townsfolk/id6670406987/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **3.2K** |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | **73.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 74 MB | 253 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jan Eisenhuth](https://appshunter.io/developer/1744975230) | [Short Circuit Studio](https://appshunter.io/developer/1681849083) |

## What reviewers say

### Finalist

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/finalist/id6502301145)

Access leaderboards for the popular game, showing rankings for both current and past seasons. Stay updated on player performance and competitive standings.

**Highlights:** Current season leaderboards, Previous season leaderboards, Player ranking access, Competitive standings, Game statistics

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### TownsFolk

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/townsfolk/id6670406987)

Lead settlers to build and expand a thriving colony in a mysterious and dangerous world. Manage resources, make critical decisions, and overcome challenges to ensure your settlement's survival. Explore the unknown, face disasters, and appease a demanding king.

**Highlights:** Build and expand settlements, Explore unknown territories, Survive challenges and disasters, Roguelite strategy gameplay, Skirmish and puzzle modes, Handcrafted pixel art visuals, Weekly challenge mode

**Features:** Game Controller support, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Shadow of Empires bundle | $2.99 | one-time |
| TownsFolk: A new world | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fun game
- 👍 Solid tutorial
- 👍 Portrait mode
- 👍 Great city sim game
- 👍 Interesting mechanics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and freezes
- 🔋 Drains battery
- 💰 Requires payment after tutorial
- 🔍 Needs better balancing
- 🔍 Needs deeper gameplay

**Reported bugs**

- Tutorial freezes the game
- Can't build anything and days don't progress
- Save data reverts or gets corrupted

**Requested features**

- Creative/easy mode to keep progress
- Leaderboards and daily challenges


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Finalist free?

Finalist is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is TownsFolk free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Finalist or TownsFolk?

TownsFolk is rated higher. Finalist averages 4.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while TownsFolk averages 4.7 from 3.2K ratings.

### Do Finalist or TownsFolk have ads?

Neither Finalist nor TownsFolk shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Finalist or TownsFolk?

Finalist ships an update every 2 months, and TownsFolk weekly. Most recently, Finalist was updated on July 25, 2026 and TownsFolk on September 25, 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.*