# Backpack Hero vs Hex Defense!

Backpack Hero and Hex Defense! both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 33% of Backpack Hero's written reviews are positive against 16% of Hex Defense!'s. On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Backpack Hero sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Hex Defense! sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Backpack Hero against 4.5 for Hex Defense!. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.4K and 4.6K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 33% of Backpack Hero's written reviews are positive against 16% of Hex Defense!'s.

Backpack Hero ships an update every 10 days, Hex Defense! fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Backpack Hero | Hex Defense! |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (2.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backpack-hero-merge-weapons/id6717579383/reviews)** | [4.5 (4.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hex-defense/id6736362115/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2.4K | **4.6K** |
| Positive reviews | **33.2% of reviews** | 16.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 889 MB | 392 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Zego Global Pte Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1637372610) | [Voodoo](https://appshunter.io/developer/714804730) |

## What reviewers say

### Backpack Hero

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backpack-hero-merge-weapons/id6717579383)

Strategically pack your backpack with items to merge them into powerful weapons and gear. Explore dungeons, battle enemies and bosses, and complete daily quests to become the ultimate hero. Your packing skills are key to survival and success in this adventure.

**Highlights:** Ultimate packing challenge, Merge and upgrade items, Epic battles and boss fights, Daily quests and rewards, Strategic inventory management

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Beginner Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Eternal Bounty 1 Package | $0.99 | one-time |
| First Purchase | $2.99 | one-time |
| Hunting Hero Card | $4.99 | one-time |
| Chapter Fund | $9.99 | one-time |
| BackPack Remove Ads 30 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Lucky Card | $9.99 | one-time |
| Premium Pass 2 Package | $9.99 | one-time |
| Hero Bundle | $14.99 | one-time |
| Premium Ads Free Package | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun gameplay
- 💡 Interesting item choices

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Daily/weekly rewards not refreshing
- 🔁 Excessive ads required for progress
- 🐛 Bugs with freeze mechanic and sound
- ⏱️ Slow game speed

**Reported bugs**

- Daily/weekly rewards not refreshing
- Freeze mechanic issues
- Sound cutting out after ads
- Progression blocking bugs on certain levels
- Legendary items not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Option to pay to reduce ads
- High-speed game mode for grinding
- Multiplayer or competitive features
- Better explanation of game mechanics


### Hex Defense!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hex-defense/id6736362115)

Strategically place and merge weapons to defend a vibrant cube world. Demolish waves of incoming enemies by upgrading your arsenal with powerful skills. Protect the world from the encroaching evil hexes.

**Highlights:** Defeat enemy waves, Merge weapons, Demolish enemy stacks, Upgrade skills, Save the cube world

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tiny Gems Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Small Gems Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Speed Up | $4.99 | one-time |
| Golden Pass | $6.99 | one-time |
| No Ads | $7.99 | one-time |
| Auto Blessings | $7.99 | one-time |
| Medium Gems Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Special Offer: Minigun | $12.99 | one-time |
| Special Offer: Tesla | $19.99 | one-time |
| Large Gems Pack | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and wholesome gameplay
- 🚀 Smooth performance

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and glitches (e.g. stage progression issues, tower upgrades not working)
- 💰 Monetization concerns (e.g. ads, paid features removed)
- 🔍 Incomplete/unfinished content (e.g. missing levels, towers, features)

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to progress past certain levels
- Towers not unlocking as expected
- Game crashes and freezes

**Requested features**

- More maps and levels
- Additional tower types and upgrades
- Offline play option


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Backpack Hero free?

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

### Is Hex Defense! free?

Hex Defense! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Backpack Hero or Hex Defense!?

Backpack Hero is rated higher. Backpack Hero averages 4.6 out of 5 from 2.4K ratings, while Hex Defense! averages 4.5 from 4.6K ratings.

### Do Backpack Hero or Hex Defense! have ads?

Both Backpack Hero and Hex Defense! show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Backpack Hero or Hex Defense!?

Backpack Hero ships an update every 10 days, and Hex Defense! fortnightly. Most recently, Backpack Hero was updated on November 12, 2026 and Hex Defense! on November 11, 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.*