Comparison

Retro TD vs Wavefront

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Retro TD

Features
Read full description

Build mazes. Watch creeps puzzle through. Hold the line. Retro TD is a hexagonal-arrow tower defense game. Place towers along the path, upgrade between waves, and survive against creeps that follow the arrows you've drawn. Tight, decision-heavy play — no filler, no grind. AI-GENERATED LEVELS Describe a shape — spiral, figure-8, knot, hourglass, twin loop — and the game generates a new level matching it. Each generation uses one credit; the Starter Pack includes 4, and you can top up when you want more. WHAT'S INSIDE • 30 hand-designed campaign levels, from gentle tutorial to boss-tier • Four tower types with directional aim-lock • A radial build menu that keeps your finger out of the action • Game Center high-wave leaderboards on every level • Reduced Motion option in Settings • Portrait, single-handed play IN-APP PURCHASES • Starter Pack ($2.99): unlocks levels 11–30 and includes 4 AI level credits • Credits 4-Pack ($1.99): four additional AI level credits SHARING Custom levels can be shared with friends by tapping an import link. Levels are filtered for objectionable content; long-press any received level to report it. No ads. No tracking. No account required.

About

Wavefront

Engage in fast-paced tower defense across diverse worlds and challenging levels. Strategically place and upgrade towers, utilize spells, and defeat waves of monsters to protect your base. Compete on global leaderboards and unlock permanent upgrades.

Highlights
  • Strategic tower placement and upgrades
  • 100 levels across 5 unique worlds
  • Permanent armory upgrades
  • Endless survival arena with leaderboards
  • Spells and commander abilities
  • Offline play
Features
Read full description

Wavefront is a fast, colorful tower defense game. Line your towers along the path, upgrade them mid-battle, and hold every wave of monsters before they reach your base — across 5 worlds and 100 levels. Place smart, upgrade at the right moment, and read each wave. Easy to pick up, tuned for short sessions, deep enough to chase a 3-star run on every level. WHAT YOU DO Pick your loadout, place towers along the road, and upgrade them while the wave is still coming. Every level ends with a damage report telling you which weapon actually carried it — so your next loadout is a decision, not a guess. TOWERS • Gun, Rapid and Sniper for ground waves • Frost slows everything it hits • Cannon splashes damage across a group • Flak is the only thing that can touch flyers • Farm prints money instead of bullets • Laser exists for one job: bosses PROGRESSION THAT KEEPS GOING Earn gold in battle and spend it in the Armory on permanent upgrades. Max a weapon out and Mastery takes over — an uncapped track that keeps adding damage for as long as you keep investing. 5 WORLDS, 100 LEVELS Forest, Desert, Winter, City and Space, each with its own 25-strong monster roster: critters, vehicles, jetpack aliens, air bosses and ground bosses. Roads fork, cross and run in pairs, so the same tactics do not work everywhere. SURVIVE An endless hell arena. No level to clear — just how long you can hold, with your time on a global leaderboard. SPELLS AND COMMANDERS Call down a meteor, freeze the field, cash in mid-wave, or EMP the flyers. Pick a commander for a run-long bonus. ALSO • Play offline — no connection needed • Daily quests, achievements and a monster collection • 1-3 stars per level, feeding a global star leaderboard • Seven languages

Screenshots

Retro TD4 screens
Wavefront4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Retro TD at none against Wavefront's shown. Retro TD also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 weeks). Wavefront's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Retro TD sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Wavefront sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Retro TD ships an update every 3 days, Wavefront every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Retro TD versus Wavefront: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRetro TDWavefront
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—4 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB421 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperDoug BarrettSAMET VOLKAN CAVUSOGLU

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Retro TD

One-time2
  • 4 AI Level Credits$1.99
  • Starter Pack$2.99
11 purchases

Wavefront

One-time11
  • 150 Diamonds$1.99
  • 10 Spell Refreshers$2.99
  • Remove Ads$2.99
Show 8 more
  • Vault Starter$4.99
  • Costume Pack 1$4.99
  • Costume Pack 2$4.99
  • Golden Pass$6.99
  • 800 Diamonds$8.99
  • Vault Bundle$12.99
  • Platinum Pass$14.99
  • 1,800 Diamonds$17.99

Questions

Is Retro TD free?
Retro TD is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Wavefront free?
Wavefront is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Retro TD or Wavefront have ads?
Wavefront shows ads; Retro TD does not.
Which is updated more often, Retro TD or Wavefront?
Retro TD ships an update every 3 days, and Wavefront every 3 weeks. Most recently, Retro TD was updated on October 7, 2026 and Wavefront on October 24, 2026.

Other comparisons