# Hardcore vs SideQuest

The clearest difference is ads: Hardcore at none against SideQuest's shown. Hardcore also leads on ratings volume (20 vs 5). SideQuest's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 67%) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hardcore sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days and SideQuest sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

SideQuest holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 20 and 5 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of Hardcore's written reviews are positive against 100% of SideQuest's.

Hardcore ships an update every 2 weeks, SideQuest every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hardcore | SideQuest |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hardcore-habit-tracker-rpg/id6754932074/reviews) | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sidequest-task-rpg/id6815331840/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **20** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 53 MB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jacob Igielski](https://appshunter.io/developer/1806208980) | [Thirty Six Pixels](https://appshunter.io/developer/6815331842) |

## What reviewers say

### Hardcore

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hardcore-habit-tracker-rpg/id6754932074)

Transform your daily habits into an engaging role-playing game. Earn experience points, gold, and build streaks by completing goals like working out or studying. Level up your character and stay motivated with a rewarding, game-like progression system.

**Highlights:** Gamified habit tracking, XP, gold, and level-up rewards, Streak building and protection, Item collection and crafting, Visualized progress tracking, Clean and focused design

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hardcore Weekly | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Hardcore Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Hardcore Weekly | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Hardcore Monthly | $7.99 | per month |
| Hardcore Yearly | $9.99 | per year |
| Hardcore Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Hardcore Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| Hardcore Yearly | $24.99 | per year |
| Hardcore Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| Hardcore Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| Hardcore Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| Hardcore Yearly | $49.99 | per year |


### SideQuest

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sidequest-task-rpg/id6815331840)

Transform your to-do list into an engaging adventure. Organize tasks by urgency and difficulty, earn experience points for completion, and tackle large goals as boss battles. Unlock rewards and track your progress with detailed statistics.

**Highlights:** Task Matrix for organizing tasks, XP and leveling system, Daily streaks and Momentum bonuses, Boss Battles for large goals, Unlockable rewards and animations, Statistics dashboard

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium (Monthly) | $4.99 | per month |
| Premium (Yearly) | $39.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hardcore free?

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

### Is SideQuest free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Hardcore or SideQuest?

SideQuest is rated higher. Hardcore averages 4.7 out of 5 from 20 ratings, while SideQuest averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.

### Do Hardcore or SideQuest have ads?

SideQuest shows ads; Hardcore does not.

### Which is updated more often, Hardcore or SideQuest?

Hardcore ships an update every 2 weeks, and SideQuest every 2 days. Most recently, Hardcore was updated on October 25, 2026 and SideQuest on October 29, 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.*