# Sphere TD vs CombatChess

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CombatChess at none against Sphere TD's 10. CombatChess also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Sphere TD's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs weekly) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sphere TD sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. CombatChess asks for nothing beyond the download.

CombatChess holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9 and 5 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Sphere TD ships an update every 2 days, CombatChess weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sphere TD | CombatChess |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sphere-td/id6753674090/reviews) | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/combatchess/id6788577357/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **9** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 days** | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 332 MB | 99 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [StandardIssueGames](https://appshunter.io/developer/1844319777) | [PUNCHMAN, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1229559640) |

## What reviewers say

### Sphere TD

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sphere-td/id6753674090)

A complex tower defense game where you build and upgrade towers to defend against waves of spheres. Strategize with deep customization, resource management, and research to overcome challenges. Offers extensive replayability with numerous levels and modes.

**Highlights:** Tower and projectile customization, 30 base towers with 28+ stats, 33 mods with millions of combinations, Research and crafting system, Tower inventory and energy management, 50 hand-crafted levels and endless mode, Offline and online play with cloud sync

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Au Field Ration | $4.99 | one-time |
| Defender Starter Pack | $7.99 | one-time |
| Au Supply Cache | $9.99 | one-time |
| Galatium Express Token | $9.99 | one-time |
| Galatium Academy Pack | $14.99 | one-time |
| Shadow Broker Vantage | $19.99 | one-time |
| Au Enterprise Fund | $24.99 | one-time |
| Flux Enrichment Grant | $24.99 | one-time |
| Au Strategic Stockpile | $49.99 | one-time |
| Au Global Reserve | $99.99 | one-time |


### CombatChess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/combatchess/id6788577357)

Experience chess with a twist: captures lead to real-time pixel brawls where the winner claims the square. Manage action cards strategically to win fights and defend your pieces. Features a robust chess engine and arcade-style combat mechanics.

**Highlights:** Real-time pixel brawls for captures, Action cards for strategic combat, Persistent damage on pieces, Six-button arcade combat system, King can fight to avoid checkmate, Full-rule chess engine (Stockfish), Turn-based online multiplayer

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sphere TD free?

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

### Is CombatChess free?

CombatChess is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Sphere TD or CombatChess?

CombatChess is rated higher. Sphere TD averages 4.6 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while CombatChess averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.

### Do Sphere TD or CombatChess have ads?

Sphere TD shows ads; CombatChess does not.

### Which is updated more often, Sphere TD or CombatChess?

Sphere TD ships an update every 2 days, and CombatChess weekly. Most recently, Sphere TD was updated on October 5, 2026 and CombatChess on October 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.*