# Stack & Defend vs AshHold

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Stack & Defend at none against AshHold's 10. Stack & Defend also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. AshHold sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Stack & Defend asks for nothing beyond the download.

Stack & Defend ships an update fortnightly, AshHold every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Stack & Defend | AshHold |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.1 (408 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stack-and-defend/id6741839843/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **408** | — |
| Positive reviews | 50.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | — |
| Size | 181 MB | 56 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [晓莹 黄](https://appshunter.io/developer/1784736578) | [Gerald Agyapong-Opoku](https://appshunter.io/developer/1819833145) |

## What reviewers say

### Stack & Defend

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stack-and-defend/id6741839843)

Engage in thrilling tower defense battles by strategically stacking and merging blocks to build your fortress. Unleash diverse attack modes and powerful combos to defeat ruthless bosses and conquer the battlefield.

**Highlights:** Super Free Building, Stacking and merging blocks, Diverse Attack Modes, Ruthless Opponents, Frenzied Combos, Timed Battles

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Satisfying sound effects
- 👍 Fun game

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Towers disappear and take crystals
- 🐛 Ads too long and can't be skipped
- 🐛 Difficulty spike in early stages

**Reported bugs**

- Towers not placing properly, taking crystals
- Unwanted towers appearing on the board

**Requested features**

- Remove ad-placed towers that take up space
- Improve tower placement and movement controls


### AshHold

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ashhold-survival/id6792043781)

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Starter Materials Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Quick XP Boost | $0.99 | one-time |
| Session XP Boost | $2.99 | one-time |
| Small Materials Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Survival Starter Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Day XP Boost | $4.99 | one-time |
| Medium Materials Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Weekend XP Boost | $9.99 | one-time |
| Large Materials Pack | $19.99 | one-time |
| Ultimate Materials Pack | $49.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Stack & Defend free?

Stack & Defend is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is AshHold free?

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

### Do Stack & Defend or AshHold have ads?

Both Stack & Defend and AshHold show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Stack & Defend or AshHold?

Stack & Defend ships an update fortnightly, and AshHold every 2 weeks. Most recently, Stack & Defend was updated on October 22, 2026 and AshHold on October 9, 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.*