# R.TYPE vs Sky Force

The clearest difference is price: Sky Force at Free against R.TYPE's $1.99. Sky Force also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.4) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 25 months). R.TYPE's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ads (none vs shown). On device support there is nothing between them.

Sky Force is free to download; R.TYPE costs $1.99 up front. Sky Force sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. R.TYPE asks for nothing beyond the download.

Sky Force holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sky Force has 2.1K ratings behind it against 62, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 62% of R.TYPE's written reviews are positive against 89% of Sky Force's.

R.TYPE ships an update every 25 months, Sky Force every 2 months. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | R.TYPE | Sky Force |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.4 (62 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rtype/id657336473/reviews) | **[4.7 (2.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sky-force/id717233547/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 62 | **2.1K** |
| Positive reviews | 61.9% of reviews | **89.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 25 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 29 MB | 260 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [DotEmu](https://appshunter.io/developer/329185054) | [Infinite Dreams](https://appshunter.io/developer/306712040) |

## What reviewers say

### R.TYPE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rtype/id657336473)

Experience a classic arcade shooter reborn for modern devices. Battle the evil Bydo Empire across eight challenging levels, utilizing a variety of weapons and power-ups. This faithful adaptation offers both original difficulty and enhanced touch controls for an authentic retro gaming experience.

**Highlights:** Classic arcade shoot 'em up gameplay, Eight challenging levels, Multiple weapon upgrades and power-ups, Two difficulty settings, Touch and virtual D-pad controls, Unlockable achievements and leaderboards

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Arcade-perfect port
- 👍 Faithful to the original
- 👍 Great retro experience
- 👍 Customizable controls
- 👍 Works well on iPad

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy on newer devices
- 🐛 Unresponsive controls
- 🐛 Covers too much of the screen
- 🐛 Laggy performance

**Reported bugs**

- Ship randomly jumps to the right side
- Buttons overlap and obscure gameplay
- Crashes and freezes on iOS 13+
- Compatibility issues on iPhone 12 and newer

**Requested features**

- Support for Bluetooth controllers
- Option to resize/reposition controls
- Difficulty settings/modes
- Improved sound quality


### Sky Force

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sky-force/id717233547)

Experience a classic arcade shooter reborn with stunning 3D graphics and intuitive touch controls. Upgrade your ship, battle intense bosses, and compete in weekly tournaments against other players. Rescue fallen pilots for rewards and achieve victory in this action-packed scrolling shooter.

**Highlights:** Stunning 3D graphics, Intuitive touchscreen controls, Powerful ship upgrade system, Weekly player tournaments, Rescue fallen pilots for rewards, Multiple boss battles, In-game achievements

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Precious Cargo | $1.99 | one-time |
| Ads Removal | $3.99 | one-time |
| Plane Generator | $3.99 | one-time |
| SX2 - Star Doubler | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth gameplay
- 👍 Great graphics and sound
- 💎 Challenging but rewarding
- 🎮 Classic arcade-style shooter
- 🔋 Offline playable

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and performance issues
- ⏱️ Slow progression and long upgrade times
- 💰 Grindy to progress without in-app purchases
- 👎 Controls can be frustrating on mobile

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes on launch for some users
- Saved progress not syncing across devices
- Ads not working as expected

**Requested features**

- More levels and content updates
- Controller support
- Ability to reset progress
- Customization options for the ship


## Frequently asked questions

### Is R.TYPE free?

R.TYPE costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Sky Force free?

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

### Which has better reviews, R.TYPE or Sky Force?

Sky Force is rated higher. R.TYPE averages 3.4 out of 5 from 62 ratings, while Sky Force averages 4.7 from 2.1K ratings.

### Do R.TYPE or Sky Force have ads?

Sky Force shows ads; R.TYPE does not.

### Which is updated more often, R.TYPE or Sky Force?

R.TYPE ships an update every 25 months, and Sky Force every 2 months. Most recently, R.TYPE was updated on November 6, 2026 and Sky Force 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.*