# Chernobyl 3D vs Cairn

The clearest difference is price: Chernobyl 3D at Free against Cairn's $19.99. Chernobyl 3D also leads on iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.2). On rating, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Chernobyl 3D is free to download; Cairn costs $19.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Chernobyl 3D against 5.0 for Cairn. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 9 respectively.

Chernobyl 3D ships an update every 3 days, Cairn every 5 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chernobyl 3D | Cairn |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $19.99 |
| Rating | [5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chernobyl-3d/id6767337713/reviews) | [5.0 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cairn-interactive-fiction/id6773716278/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **9** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Every 5 days |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 67 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 26.2 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Richard Blundell](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896359553) | [Daniel Ducat](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896283693) |

## What reviewers say

### Chernobyl 3D

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chernobyl-3d/id6767337713)

Experience intense single-player arena combat with escalating waves of enemies and a variety of weapons. Utilize power-ups and a portal gun for strategic traversal and boss elimination. Compete on a global leaderboard with replay functionality.

**Highlights:** Wave-based arena combat, 18 enemy types, Four distinct weapons, Portal gun for traversal, Power-ups (QUAD damage, SPEED, BERSERK), Global leaderboard with replays

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Cairn

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cairn-interactive-fiction/id6773716278)

This app serves as a player for classic text adventures, allowing you to bring your own story files. It features automatic mapping, integrated reference materials, and iCloud syncing across devices for a seamless experience.

**Highlights:** Automatic live mapping, Visual room and connection tracking, Support for Z3, Z4, Z5, Z7, and Z8 story files, Attach custom PDFs and images, User-supplied hint file support, Inventory bar, Customizable themes

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chernobyl 3D free?

Chernobyl 3D is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Cairn free?

Cairn costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Chernobyl 3D or Cairn?

Chernobyl 3D and Cairn are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 4 and 9 ratings respectively.

### Do Chernobyl 3D or Cairn have ads?

Neither Chernobyl 3D nor Cairn shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Chernobyl 3D or Cairn?

Chernobyl 3D ships an update every 3 days, and Cairn every 5 days. Most recently, Chernobyl 3D was updated on October 31, 2026 and Cairn on October 31, 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.*