# DREDGE vs ARK

The clearest difference is ads: DREDGE at none against ARK's shown. DREDGE also leads on review sentiment (60% vs 46%) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). ARK's advantage is ratings volume (15K vs 1.1K) and chart position (#114 vs unranked). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. DREDGE sells 8 one-off in-app purchases and ARK sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for DREDGE against 4.4 for ARK. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ARK has 15K ratings behind it against 1.1K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 60% of DREDGE's written reviews are positive against 46% of ARK's.

DREDGE ships an update every 3 weeks, ARK monthly. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | DREDGE | ARK |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dredge/id6526463862/reviews) | **[4.4 (15K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ark-ultimate-mobile-edition/id6639622324/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1.1K | **15K** |
| Positive reviews | **59.9% of reviews** | 45.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#114** |
| Size | 768 MB | 3.6 GB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Black Salt Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/1756207154) | [Studio Wildcard](https://appshunter.io/developer/1280480537) |

## What reviewers say

### DREDGE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dredge/id6526463862)

Captain a fishing trawler to explore remote islands and their depths, selling catches and completing quests to uncover secrets. Upgrade your boat and research equipment to reach new areas, but beware of the dangers lurking in the dark.

**Highlights:** Explore remote islands and depths, Catch and sell over 125 sea creatures, Complete quests and uncover secrets, Upgrade boat with researchable equipment, Navigate treacherous waters, Survive encounters in the dark

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Blackstone Key | $0.49 | one-time |
| Blackstone Key | $0.99 | one-time |
| The Pale Reach | $2.39 | one-time |
| The Iron Rig | $4.79 | one-time |
| The Pale Reach | $5.99 | one-time |
| Base Game Unlock | $9.99 | one-time |
| The Iron Rig | $11.99 | one-time |
| Base Game Unlock | $24.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great game
- 🚀 Excellent port to mobile
- 🎮 Supports controllers
- 🎨 Stunning graphics
- 🕹️ Intuitive controls

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive for a mobile game
- 🔍 Misleading 'free' description
- 📱 Text/UI too small on phones
- 🐛 Crashes and performance issues
- 🎮 Controller support needs improvement

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on startup
- Controller issues
- Inventory/menu navigation problems

**Requested features**

- Larger text and UI options
- Cross-save between devices
- More content and DLC
- Minimap or navigation aids
- Ability to walk around boat/town


### ARK

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ark-ultimate-mobile-edition/id6639622324)

**Currently charting:** #114 Top Free · Adventure, #157 Top Grossing · Adventure (US App Store)

Explore a vast prehistoric world, tame and ride dinosaurs, and battle other players. This massive mobile edition includes all expansion packs for thousands of hours of gameplay across diverse environments.

**Highlights:** Tame and ride primeval creatures, Explore savage lands and diverse environments, Compete in epic tribal battles, Access all five expansion packs, Discover hundreds of unique species, Complete explorer notes and dossiers

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ARK Pass - Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| 100 Keys | $0.99 | one-time |
| Ragnarok | $2.99 | one-time |
| 500 Keys | $3.99 | one-time |
| Scorched Earth | $5.99 | one-time |
| Aberration | $5.99 | one-time |
| Extinction | $5.99 | one-time |
| 1500 Keys | $9.99 | one-time |
| God Console | $17.99 | one-time |
| 5000 Keys | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Impressive graphics and animations
- 🌐 All maps and content included
- 👍 Smooth gameplay and controls
- 🕹️ Faithful to the PC/console experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🤖 Hackers and cheaters in multiplayer
- 💰 Paid features and content locked behind paywall

**Reported bugs**

- Saving and progress loss issues
- Inventory and taming bugs
- Rendering and collision detection problems
- Unstable server connections

**Requested features**

- Customizable UI and controls
- Offline/local multiplayer mode
- More graphics and performance options
- Ability to adjust difficulty settings in singleplayer


## Frequently asked questions

### Is DREDGE free?

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

### Is ARK free?

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

### Which has better reviews, DREDGE or ARK?

ARK is rated higher. DREDGE averages 4.3 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while ARK averages 4.4 from 15K ratings.

### Do DREDGE or ARK have ads?

ARK shows ads; DREDGE does not.

### Which is updated more often, DREDGE or ARK?

DREDGE ships an update every 3 weeks, and ARK monthly. Most recently, DREDGE was updated on November 6, 2026 and ARK on November 6, 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.*