# Drop Duchy vs Alchemy for Beginners

The clearest difference is monetization model: Drop Duchy at free against Alchemy for Beginners's free with in-app purchases. On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Drop Duchy sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Alchemy for Beginners sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Drop Duchy | Alchemy for Beginners |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (36 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drop-duchy/id6748815540/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **36** | — |
| Positive reviews | 60.9% of reviews | **61.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 1.1 GB | 519 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Doghowl Games Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1805603341) | [Prince Arora](https://appshunter.io/developer/6791256597) |

## What reviewers say

### Drop Duchy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drop-duchy/id6748815540)

Experience a unique blend of deckbuilding, puzzle, and rogue-lite gameplay. Build a realm by strategically placing tiles, gather resources, and lead your troops to reclaim enemy territory. Each run offers a fresh challenge with procedural generation and meta-progression.

**Highlights:** Deckbuilding, puzzle, and rogue-lite gameplay mix, Strategic tile placement for resource maximization, Real-time strategy combat and territory reclamation, Procedurally generated game experiences, Meta-progression with over 90 challenges, Over 110 unique cards for deck building, Three playable factions: The Duchy, The Order, The Republic

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Base Game Offer | $8.99 | one-time |
| Base Game | $9.99 | one-time |


### Alchemy for Beginners

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alchemy-for-beginners/id6791256595)

Combine basic elements like fire, water, earth, and air to discover over 100 unique ingredients, mythical creatures, and cosmic anomalies. Rise from a novice to a master alchemist through addictive merge-and-discover gameplay and skill upgrades.

**Highlights:** Discover 100+ unique elements, Addictive merge-and-discover gameplay, Skill upgrades and perks, Detailed alchemy data book, Quests and mastery challenges, Beautiful art and effects

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Game | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Drop Duchy free?

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

### Is Alchemy for Beginners free?

Alchemy for Beginners is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Drop Duchy or Alchemy for Beginners have ads?

Neither Drop Duchy nor Alchemy for Beginners shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Drop Duchy or Alchemy for Beginners?

Drop Duchy ships an update weekly, and Alchemy for Beginners weekly. Most recently, Drop Duchy was updated on October 21, 2026 and Alchemy for Beginners on October 20, 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.*