# Magic War vs Gridlock

The clearest difference is rating: Gridlock at 5.0 against Magic War's 3.8. Magic War's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (359 vs 1). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Magic War sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Gridlock sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Gridlock holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Magic War has 359 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Magic War ships an update fortnightly, Gridlock every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Magic War | Gridlock |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.8 (359 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-war-defense/id6747439142/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gridlock-number-crunch/id6789849560/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **359** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 11.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 241 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Genesis Network](https://appshunter.io/developer/1668975668) | [Nicholas Nunziata](https://appshunter.io/developer/6780059616) |

## What reviewers say

### Magic War

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-war-defense/id6747439142)

Protect a magical continent by strategically moving your hero, building defenses, and commanding epic heroes. Face waves of monsters and team up for epic co-op sieges to stop the Demon King.

**Highlights:** Strategic grid-based movement, Tower defense missions, Kingdom building and defense design, Command epic heroes, Real-time co-op sieges

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| $0.99 Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| $1.99 Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| $2.99 Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| $4.99 Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| $9.99 Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| $19.99 Pack | $19.99 | one-time |
| $24.99 Pack | $24.99 | one-time |
| $29.99 Pack | $29.99 | one-time |
| $49.99 Pack | $49.99 | one-time |
| $99.99 Pack | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Addictive main tower defense game
- 👍 Lots of features and gameplay loops
- 👍 Great character designs

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Unbalanced gameplay
- 🤔 Unrelated minigame not what was advertised
- 👎 Unappealing character style in thumbnails

**Reported bugs**

- Game not working as advertised, switching to different game
- Significant lag issues

**Requested features**

- Focus more on advertising the main game instead of the minigame


### Gridlock

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gridlock-number-crunch/id6789849560)

A fast-paced number puzzle game where you tap tiles that sum to a target number before the grid fills. Customize grid size, speed, and game modes for a unique challenge. Enjoy a clean design and satisfying gameplay.

**Highlights:** Tap tiles to sum to target number, Customizable grid sizes and speeds, Multiple game modes (Moving Target, Multiply), Play by color or number, Clean, minimal design, One-handed play

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Magic War free?

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

### Is Gridlock free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Magic War or Gridlock?

Gridlock is rated higher. Magic War averages 3.8 out of 5 from 359 ratings, while Gridlock averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Magic War or Gridlock have ads?

Gridlock shows ads; Magic War does not.

### Which is updated more often, Magic War or Gridlock?

Magic War ships an update fortnightly, and Gridlock every 2 weeks. Most recently, Magic War was updated on October 30, 2026 and Gridlock on October 31, 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.*