Tiny Empire vs Hold the Keep
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Tiny Empire
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Raiders are on the road ten seconds in. Drop a tower, hold the gate, then build the town that pays for the next fight: eight eras from Stone Age huts to a starlit space colony, an army you train yourself, and a treasury that fills while you're away. Every fight is tower defense, and it all plays offline. HOLD THE GATE – Camps, campaign and Endless Siege are all tower defense: build towers along a winding lane, upgrade them mid-fight, repair the gate between waves, and unleash the Hero Strike when the boss walks in – The army you train fights beside your towers, deployed by you before each fight – Every win brings home gold, wood and food for the town RAID THE REBEL CAMPS – Four rebel camps beyond your walls, from the Rebel Outpost (5 waves) to the Warlord's Hold (8 waves, twice the loot) – Beat a camp and it regroups on a new road with a new horde – One camp a day carries a bounty: half again the loot MARCH THE CAMPAIGN – 24 campaign levels across three regions, each a longer siege than the last, from the Bandit Camp to the Ember Throne – Three-star a level to unlock its Heroic version: two more waves, a tougher horde, gems on the first clear – Win a fight and "Next: Campaign" opens the next level in one tap – Endless Siege: hold as long as you can, beat your best wave, and get paid gold and gems for the run RULE 8 ERAS – Advance from the Stone Age through Castle, Gunpowder, Discovery, Industrial and Modern into a neon-lit Information city and a starlit Space colony – Every era transforms your whole town: buildings, walls, units, even the sky – Offline earnings: your empire keeps producing while you're gone BUILD YOUR EMPIRE – Place and upgrade Gold Mines, Sawmills, Farms, Quarries, Storehouses, Barracks and your Town Hall – A living base: waving banners, chimney smoke, a shimmering moat, grazing sheep – Research tree, resource market, idle expeditions, daily quests and kingdom events – Conquest: gather, build a town and beat a rival army. Leave mid-match and pick it up where you left off COMMAND A REAL ARMY – Eight troop types to train: Soldiers, Pikemen, Archers, Cavalry, Catapults, Skirmishers, Scout Cavalry and Priests, every one of them adding to your company's strength in the Arena – Four of them take the field beside your towers: Soldiers, Pikemen, Archers and Cavalry – A leveling Commander with a skill tree CLIMB THE ARENA Five ranked battles a day against rival companies, from Raw Recruits to the Grandmaster's Host. Every win moves your rating - climb from Bronze through Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond to Grandmaster. Seasons close every two weeks and pay gems for the tier you finish at. COME BACK FOR MORE – A 7-day login track: log in 7 days in a row and day 7 pays a free hero summon – Chief levels, achievements, battle pass, unit veterancy – Prestige: rebirth for permanent, stacking empire bonuses PLAY IT YOUR WAY Like idle games? Set your economy running, close the app, and come back to a fuller treasury. Like tower defense? Raid a camp or jump into the campaign and route the lane your way. Like kingdom and city builders? Take your time: eight eras of buildings, walls and research are waiting. PLAYS OFFLINE No signal needed. Build, raid and defend on a plane, on the train, or anywhere the bars run out. FREE TO PLAY Tiny Empire is free to download, with optional in-app purchases and ads. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://nm-games-privacy.carrd.co
Hold the Keep
Command heroes and use skill cards in this fast-paced tactical survival game. Build your army, upgrade abilities, and defend your keep against increasingly difficult waves of enemies. Each playthrough offers a chance to strategize and grow stronger for the next challenge.
- Command heroes
- Unleash skill cards
- Battle waves of enemies
- Build and upgrade army
- Defend the keep
- Strategic gameplay
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Hold The Keep is a fast-paced tactical survival game where you command heroes, unleash skill cards, and battle through waves of enemies that grow stronger over time. Build your army, upgrade your abilities, and defend the keep against an ever-intensifying battlefield. Every run challenges you to survive longer, make smarter choices, and grow stronger for the next fight. Summon heroes across different roles, including tanks, healers, ranged attackers, mages, assassins, and specialists. Unlike games that limit your squad size, Hold The Keep lets you bring as many heroes as you can afford to summon. Use skill cards to change the tide of battle with damage spells, summons, healing, shields, buffs, debuffs, and crowd control. Time each card carefully and build powerful combinations to survive longer. Face endless waves of enemies, elites, and bosses as the pressure keeps rising. Earn rewards, strengthen your heroes, upgrade your cards, improve your summons, and refine your strategy with each attempt. Can you hold the keep?
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Tiny Empire at every 3 days against Hold the Keep's every 9 days. On price, ads, 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. Tiny Empire sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Hold the Keep sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Tiny Empire ships an update every 3 days, Hold the Keep every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Tiny Empire | Hold the Keep |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (6 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 6 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 days — better | Every 9 days |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 130 MB | 371 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Noah Miller | BcuzEYEcan |
In-app purchases
Tiny Empire
- Empire Pass Monthly$4.991 Month
- Empire Pass Yearly$29.991 Year
- Resource Pack$1.99
- Starter Pack$2.99
- Battle Pass Premium$4.99
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- Gold Pass$4.99
Hold the Keep
- Talent point reset$0.99
- Gold Pack 1000$0.99
- Small Hero Shard Pack$1.99
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- Medium Gold Pack$4.99
- A medium pack of hero shards$4.99
- Premium Hero 1$4.99
- Premium Hero 2$4.99
- Large Gold Pack$9.99
- Large pack of hero shards$9.99
- Giant pack of gold$19.99
Questions
Is Tiny Empire free?
Is Hold the Keep free?
Do Tiny Empire or Hold the Keep have ads?
Which is updated more often, Tiny Empire or Hold the Keep?
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