# FF IV vs 9th Dawn Remake

The clearest difference is update cadence: 9th Dawn Remake at every 2 days against FF IV's every 11 months. 9th Dawn Remake also leads on price ($9.99 vs $14.99) and review sentiment (78% vs 60%). FF IV's advantage is chart position (#196 vs unranked) and ratings volume (195 vs 26). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

FF IV costs $14.99 and 9th Dawn Remake $9.99 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 — 4.3 for FF IV against 4.4 for 9th Dawn Remake. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: FF IV has 195 ratings behind it against 26, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 60% of FF IV's written reviews are positive against 78% of 9th Dawn Remake's.

FF IV ships an update every 11 months, 9th Dawn Remake every 2 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | FF IV | 9th Dawn Remake |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $14.99 | **$9.99** |
| Rating | [4.3 (195 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ff-iv-the-after-years/id683029090/reviews) | **[4.4 (26 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/9th-dawn-remake/id6737169079/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **195** | 26 |
| Positive reviews | 59.6% of reviews | **78.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#196** | — |
| Size | 591 MB | 1.1 GB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [SQUARE ENIX Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/300186801) | [Valorware LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1076717688) |

## What reviewers say

### FF IV

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ff-iv-the-after-years/id683029090)

**Currently charting:** #196 Top Paid · Role Playing (US App Store)

Embark on an epic sequel to a classic RPG, featuring a full 3-D remake with returning heroes and new characters. Explore ten interconnected tales, engage in strategic combat influenced by lunar phases, and utilize powerful band abilities.

**Highlights:** Full 3-D remake, Ten playable tales, Active Time Battle system, Lunar phase combat influence, Band Abilities, Minimap and world map

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📖 Deep and engaging storyline with multiple character perspectives
- 🎨 Good graphics quality and visual improvements over original
- 🎮 Solid gameplay mechanics and battle system
- 👥 Large character selection with unique abilities and bands
- 🎵 Music and audio design (when working properly)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🎮 No controller/gamepad support (most critical issue)
- 🔊 Missing voice acting compared to FF4
- 🔁 Repetitive dungeon revisits and grinding requirements
- 📉 Game feels incomplete compared to other versions
- ⚠️ Inconsistent difficulty and balance issues

**Reported bugs**

- Sound/music not working on some devices
- Game crashes during specific story segments (Luca character issues)
- Save points disappearing after extended play
- Targeting system malfunction with Dance and Jive abilities
- Equipment not displaying properly after battle

**Requested features**

- Controller/gamepad support (Bluetooth, MFi, Backbone)
- Cloud save functionality across devices
- Voice acting for cutscenes
- Original SNES music option
- Challenge dungeons from other versions


### 9th Dawn Remake

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/9th-dawn-remake/id6737169079)

Embark on a vast open-world RPG adventure, exploring dungeons, battling monsters, and collecting epic loot. Rebuilt from the ground up, this game offers single-player and online co-op modes with deep character customization and engaging minigames.

**Highlights:** Massive open world exploration, Dungeon crawling with monsters and loot, Single-player and online co-op modes, Character build customization, Monster pet raising and training, Deck building and fishing minigames, Crafting and equipment upgrades

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great dungeon crawler
- 👍 Fun mini-games (fishing, card game)
- 👍 High Japanese translation quality
- 👍 Large game volume
- 👍 Good character design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 🐛 UI issues, difficult bottom bar
- 🐛 Combat can be boring
- 🐛 Lack of keyboard support (MBP)
- 🐛 Save data not shared across devices (iPad/iPhone)

**Reported bugs**

- Shared treasure chest not working
- Cannot move after entering campfire area
- Cannot attack after equipping
- Crashes during data loading or mini-game switching
- Crashes when moving to the next map from initial dungeon

**Requested features**

- WASD controls for keyboard
- Cloud save synchronization (iCloud)
- Button layout customization
- Ability to remove set spells/items
- Improved UI for bottom bar


## Frequently asked questions

### Is FF IV free?

FF IV costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is 9th Dawn Remake free?

9th Dawn Remake costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, FF IV or 9th Dawn Remake?

9th Dawn Remake is rated higher. FF IV averages 4.3 out of 5 from 195 ratings, while 9th Dawn Remake averages 4.4 from 26 ratings.

### Do FF IV or 9th Dawn Remake have ads?

Neither FF IV nor 9th Dawn Remake shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, FF IV or 9th Dawn Remake?

FF IV ships an update every 11 months, and 9th Dawn Remake every 2 days. Most recently, FF IV was updated on October 24, 2026 and 9th Dawn Remake 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.*