# Subnautica vs Frontier Bound

The clearest difference is rating: Subnautica at 4.6 against Frontier Bound's 3.0. Subnautica also leads on review sentiment (86% vs 50%) and ratings volume (107 vs 2). Frontier Bound's advantage is price ($0.99 vs $9.99). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Subnautica costs $9.99 and Frontier Bound $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Subnautica holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Subnautica has 107 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of Subnautica's written reviews are positive against 50% of Frontier Bound's.

Subnautica ships an update fortnightly, Frontier Bound every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Subnautica | Frontier Bound |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **$0.99** |
| Rating | **[4.6 (107 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/subnautica-below-zero/id6749406060/reviews)** | [3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/frontier-bound-strategy-rpg/id6758055152/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **107** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **86.1% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#166** | — |
| Size | 2.2 GB | 280 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Unknown Worlds](https://appshunter.io/developer/1733568374) | [Luis Herskovic](https://appshunter.io/developer/1875143071) |

## What reviewers say

### Subnautica

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/subnautica-below-zero/id6749406060)

**Currently charting:** #166 Top Paid · Action, #174 Top Paid · Adventure (US App Store)

Embark on an underwater survival adventure in an arctic alien ocean. Investigate mysteries, craft equipment, and explore new biomes and creatures. Survive the cold and uncover the truth behind an ancient alien civilization.

**Highlights:** Explore alien ocean biomes, Craft habitats and equipment, Survive freezing temperatures, Investigate alien mysteries, Discover new creatures, Pilot vehicles like Seatruck and Snowfox

**In-app purchases:** none


### Frontier Bound

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/frontier-bound-strategy-rpg/id6758055152)

Recruit adventurers, build a trading guild, and embark on expeditions through a perilous frontier in this turn-based strategy RPG. Permanent death means your guild's legacy grows stronger with each run, offering new stories and challenges.

**Highlights:** Recruit and customize adventurers, Build and manage a trading guild, Send expeditions through a dangerous frontier, Hundreds of hand-crafted encounters, Permanent progression and upgrades, Offline play

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Subnautica free?

Subnautica costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Frontier Bound free?

Frontier Bound costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Subnautica or Frontier Bound?

Subnautica is rated higher. Subnautica averages 4.6 out of 5 from 107 ratings, while Frontier Bound averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Subnautica or Frontier Bound have ads?

Neither Subnautica nor Frontier Bound shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Subnautica or Frontier Bound?

Subnautica ships an update fortnightly, and Frontier Bound every 3 weeks. Most recently, Subnautica was updated on October 14, 2026 and Frontier Bound on September 28, 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.*