# Alchemist's Engine vs InkTower

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Alchemist's Engine at none against InkTower's 7. Alchemist's Engine also leads on ratings volume (34 vs 1). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. InkTower sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Alchemist's Engine asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Alchemist's Engine against 5.0 for InkTower. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Alchemist's Engine has 34 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Alchemist's Engine ships an update every 6 days, InkTower every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Alchemist's Engine | InkTower |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (34 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alchemists-engine/id6804922440/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/inktower-idle-tower-defense/id6806354022/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **34** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 10 MB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.7 | **15.4** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPod** |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Just Software LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/6804922442) | [Aliaksandr Yanukovich](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896265513) |

## What reviewers say

### Alchemist's Engine

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alchemists-engine/id6804922440)

Tend to a dormant engine in a ruined world by gathering fuel, crafting resources, and researching upgrades. Forge golems to assist in your tasks as you explore a labyrinthine mine and uncover a forgotten story.

**Highlights:** Feed and stoke the engine, Merge sparks on an alchemical table, Forge and upgrade golems, Research forgotten techniques, Explore a seeded labyrinth, Unravel the story

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### InkTower

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/inktower-idle-tower-defense/id6806354022)

Engage in a unique idle tower defense game where you draw defenses and weapons in a hand-sketched notebook. Upgrade your arsenal and research new abilities to fend off doodle monsters and progress through different pages.

**Highlights:** Draw walls and cross out enemies, 8 unique doodled weapons, Skill tree with live previews, Page-based progression with events, Customizable towers with earned drawings, Monthly leaderboards and leagues

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 60 Gems | $1.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| No Videos | $4.99 | one-time |
| 180 Gems — Good Deal | $4.99 | one-time |
| Second Desk in the Lab | $4.99 | one-time |
| Speed x3 Forever | $5.99 | one-time |
| 450 Gems | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Alchemist's Engine free?

Alchemist's Engine is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is InkTower free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Alchemist's Engine or InkTower?

Alchemist's Engine and InkTower are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 34 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do Alchemist's Engine or InkTower have ads?

Both Alchemist's Engine and InkTower show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Alchemist's Engine or InkTower?

Alchemist's Engine ships an update every 6 days, and InkTower every 2 weeks. Most recently, Alchemist's Engine was updated on November 6, 2026 and InkTower on November 6, 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.*