# Maelstrom vs Defender Reborn

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Maelstrom at none against Defender Reborn's 1. Maelstrom also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs weekly). Defender Reborn's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Defender Reborn sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Maelstrom asks for nothing beyond the download.

Maelstrom ships an update every 2 days, Defender Reborn weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Maelstrom | Defender Reborn |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/defender-reborn/id6791315802/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **2** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 days** | Weekly |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 17 MB | 96 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [John Verco](https://appshunter.io/developer/1825521995) | [Mark Mangieri](https://appshunter.io/developer/1689388804) |

## What reviewers say

### Maelstrom

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/maelstrom-vector-arcade/id6791025991)

**In-app purchases:** none


### Defender Reborn

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/defender-reborn/id6791315802)

Defend humanity's last colonists from alien raiders in this reimagined retro arcade shoot-'em-up. Experience classic gameplay rebuilt for modern touch screens.

**Highlights:** Retro arcade shoot-'em-up gameplay, Rebuilt for modern touch screens, Defend colonists from alien raiders, Classic arcade tribute

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $0.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Maelstrom free?

Maelstrom is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Defender Reborn free?

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

### Do Maelstrom or Defender Reborn have ads?

Both Maelstrom and Defender Reborn show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Maelstrom or Defender Reborn?

Maelstrom ships an update every 2 days, and Defender Reborn weekly. Most recently, Maelstrom was updated on October 13, 2026 and Defender Reborn on October 24, 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.*