The UnderGrowth vs Aether Bastion
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
The UnderGrowth
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Deep beneath the surface, a living network stirs. You are the cultivator — tap to grow, produce to expand, and unlock the hidden species of the underground. The UnderGrowth is an idle clicker built around the slow, satisfying rhythm of fungal growth. Tap to generate mycelium, watch your production tick upward, and make strategic choices about when to prestige and how to spend your hard-earned spores. GROW YOUR NETWORK Tap the screen to produce mycelium and build your underground operation. Upgrade your production rate and watch your numbers climb — even while you're away. UNLOCK RARE SPECIES Discover and collect a variety of unique underground species, each with its own look and lore. Watch your ecosystem come to life as your collection grows. PRESTIGE & EVOLVE When the time is right, reset your progress and carry forward bonus spores that make each run more powerful than the last. Every prestige brings new potential. BOOST YOUR OPERATION Earn temporary boosts through rewarded ads — double your production for an hour, multiply your tap power, or claim an instant burst of progress. For players who want a permanent edge, the Shop offers one-time upgrades that stay with you forever. BUILT FOR IDLE PLAY Your mycelium keeps growing whether you're actively tapping or not. Check back, collect your haul, and keep expanding. No energy timers. No pay-to-win walls. Just the quiet satisfaction of watching something grow.
Aether Bastion
Defend a growing rift against swarms. Strategically expand your keep and spend resources to bring cores home. Enjoy live co-op multiplayer for up to four players.
- Idle rift defense gameplay
- Strategic keep growth
- Resource management
- Live co-op multiplayer (2-4 players)
- Seasonal events
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You don't aim. You grow. Aether Bastion is idle rift defense. One lattice. A swarm on the ring. Grow the keep, spend scrap in the run, and bring cores home. • Seasonal tides bring new events to the keep. • Live co-op for 2 to 4 keepers through Game Center, each on their own device (no couch co-op). • No ads. The optional Circle subscription adds an extra Forge, 1.25× cores, and daily gems. Founder packs are gems only. Play on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV. Plays on iPhone Duo, in portrait on the outer screen and landscape on the unfolded inner screen. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Aether Bastion at none against The UnderGrowth's shown. The UnderGrowth's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs monthly) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. The UnderGrowth sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Aether Bastion sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
The UnderGrowth ships an update every 5 days, Aether Bastion monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | The UnderGrowth | Aether Bastion |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (13 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 13 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days — better | Monthly |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV — better |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 26 MB | 165 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Ehren Davis | NoffTech LLC |
In-app purchases
The UnderGrowth
- 10× Click Power$0.99
- 2× Production Boost$0.99
Aether Bastion
- Bastion Circle7 Days trial$7.991 Month
- Handful of Gems$0.99
- Ember Theme$1.99
- Awakening Pack$2.99
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- Ember Pack$2.99
- Purse of Gems$4.99
- Founder’s Sigil$4.99
- Chest of Gems$9.99
- Vault of Gems$19.99
- Treasury of Gems$49.99
Questions
Is The UnderGrowth free?
Is Aether Bastion free?
Do The UnderGrowth or Aether Bastion have ads?
Which is updated more often, The UnderGrowth or Aether Bastion?
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