# Castle Keeper vs Starshard

The clearest difference is rating: Starshard at 4.0 against Castle Keeper's 3.0. Castle Keeper's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Castle Keeper sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Starshard sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Starshard holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively.

Castle Keeper ships an update every 4 days, Starshard every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Castle Keeper | Starshard |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/castle-keeper-pixel-survivor/id6503446347/reviews) | **[4.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starshard/id6790557552/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 270 MB | 85 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [eytan eylul guler](https://appshunter.io/developer/1483431567) | [Burak Emre Nevruzoglu](https://appshunter.io/developer/6789874279) |

## What reviewers say

### Castle Keeper

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/castle-keeper-pixel-survivor/id6503446347)

A pixel-art survival RPG and tower defense hybrid where you defend your castle against endless waves of monsters. Loot, build, and upgrade weapons and towers to conquer diverse maps and face formidable bosses. Choose from multiple heroes and master unique playstyles in this action-packed adventure.

**Highlights:** Master 12 weapons with 6 tiers each, Upgrade 6 unique towers with 8 tiers, Conquer 25 maps across 5 diverse biomes, Face fearsome bosses and endless waves, Develop heroes with 20 skills and 32 attributes, Multiple heroes with unique stats and playstyles

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small find | $0.99 | one-time |
| Troll's hoard | $1.99 | one-time |
| Amethyst Pouch | $1.99 | one-time |
| Underhill's hoard | $4.99 | one-time |
| Amethyst Bag | $5.99 | one-time |
| Amethyst Chest | $9.99 | one-time |
| Ad-Free Pass | $12.99 | one-time |
| Royal Vault | $19.99 | one-time |
| Dwarfking's fortune | $24.99 | one-time |
| Dragon's hoard | $49.99 | one-time |


### Starshard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starshard/id6790557552)

Engage in a fair vertical space shooter with no pay-to-win mechanics. Dodge bullet storms, collect power-ups, and draft unique builds with upgrade choices after each boss. Explore campaign and endless modes, and unlock permanent gear for your chosen ship.

**Highlights:** Vertical space shooter gameplay, No pay-to-win or energy timers, Procedural build drafting with upgrades, Epic boss battles with multiple phases, Permanent gear and ship unlocks, Campaign and endless game modes

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Shard Doubler | $1.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Castle Keeper free?

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

### Is Starshard free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Castle Keeper or Starshard?

Starshard is rated higher. Castle Keeper averages 3.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Starshard averages 4.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Castle Keeper or Starshard have ads?

Both Castle Keeper and Starshard show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Castle Keeper or Starshard?

Castle Keeper ships an update every 4 days, and Starshard every 3 weeks. Most recently, Castle Keeper was updated on November 4, 2026 and Starshard on October 31, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*