Comparison

Front Wars vs Mortar Defense

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

Head to head
About

Front Wars

Engage in turn-based strategy battles set during World War II. Command allied forces, manage resources, and outmaneuver the enemy on a grid-based map. Capture objectives and defeat all enemy units to win.

Highlights
  • Turn-based strategy gameplay
  • World War II campaign
  • Diverse unit types (soldiers, tanks, planes, ships)
  • Grid-based map with terrain effects
  • Online multiplayer
  • HD graphics
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Front Wars is a turn-based strategy game. Take control of allied troops and revive the great battles of the second world war in a tense campaign against the german army. You can challenge your friends online on Facebook, Gamecenter or by the passing the device. The two armies take turns building and commanding units on a grid-based map. The objective is to defeat the enemy army. There are two ways to defeat an opponent: destroy every one of the opponent's units on the map or capture the opponent's headquarters. The terrain on a map affects unit range of movements and the defense attributes of units stationed in that terrain. Capturing cities and enemy buildings will give the player new fundings at the beginning of each turn, with which the player can create a variety of new units (soldiers, tanks, planes, ships...) to gain power over his opponent. The game features: * Revive great battles of the second World War in a tense Solo Campaign * 26 missions * 15 different Units : Soldiers, Tanks, Planes, Ships... * 3 difficulty levels * Cross Platform Online Turn-based multiplayer using Facebook * Beautiful HD Graphics

About

Mortar Defense

Engage in intense artillery combat and strategic trench warfare to defend your base. Upgrade your defenses, enhance your army, and lead your troops to victory in challenging WW2 scenarios. Earn resources even while offline and tackle new challenges in bonus levels.

Highlights
  • Upgrade mortar explosion radius, damage, and reload time
  • Fortify base defense by upgrading base health
  • Improve soldier count and soldier damage
  • Earn banknotes and strengthen base
  • Offline earnings for continuous progress
  • New challenges in bonus levels
Features
Read full description

Looking for war defense games? Addicted to artillery games? Mortar Defense offers a thrilling blend of strategy, trench warfare, and artillery combat. This game challenges you to defend a crucial vantage point against overwhelming odds. The fate of the war battle rests in your hands! Immerse yourself in the world of trench warfare and artillery battles. Mortar Defense combines the best strategy elements of artillery and defense games, providing a unique and engaging experience. Prepare for intense WW2 defense scenarios. Engage in WW2 defence missions that will test your strategy. Whether you're a fan of military games, war troops games, or WW2 strategy games, Mortar Defense has something for everyone. Command your forces in epic trench battles, using your skills in war strategy and base defense. Face off against enemy troops and lead your army to victory in challenging trench warfare scenarios. Mortar Defense offers a range of exciting features to enhance your gameplay experience: • Earn coins to upgrade your mortar's explosion radius, damage, and reload time, ensuring your war defense is stronger than ever. • Fortify your base defense by upgrading your base health. This enhancement allows you to withstand more enemy attacks and hold your ground longer in intense battles. • Increase your army's effectiveness by improving soldier count and soldier damage. Strengthen your artillery skills and ensure your troops are ready for any battle. • Earn banknotes and strengthen your base to defend against enemy assaults. Use your resources wisely! • Continue to earn from your base even when you're offline. This feature ensures that your progress giving you a strategic advantage. • Experience new challenges in bonus levels! These intense battles will test your shooting skills and other combat abilities beyond your expertise in artillery. Download Mortar Defense now and become a hero of the base defense. Privacy Policy: https://www.moonee.io/privacy-policy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Front Wars4 screens
Mortar Defense4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Mortar Defense at Free against Front Wars's $3.99. Mortar Defense also leads on rating (4.1 vs 3.5) and ratings volume (243 vs 28). Front Wars's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (46% vs 19%). On update cadence, in-app purchases, monetization model 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

Mortar Defense is free to download; Front Wars costs $3.99 up front. Front Wars sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Mortar Defense sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Mortar Defense holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mortar Defense has 243 ratings behind it against 28, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 46% of Front Wars's written reviews are positive against 19% of Mortar Defense's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Front Wars ships an update every 3 weeks, Mortar Defense monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Front Wars versus Mortar Defense: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFront WarsMortar Defense
Price$3.99Free — better
Rating3.5 (28 ratings)4.1 (243 ratings) — better
Positive reviews46.0% of reviews — better19.4% of reviews
Number of ratings28243 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterMonthly
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#186 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS6.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size106 MB282 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperGregory ChallantMOONEE PUBLISHING LTD

Customer experience

Front Wars

All ratings28 ratings
Positive53.6%
Neutral10.7%
Negative35.7%
Written reviews174 reviews
Positive46.0%
Neutral19.0%
Negative35.1%

Mortar Defense

All ratings234 ratings
Positive77.4%
Neutral5.6%
Negative17.1%
Written reviews72 reviews
Positive19.4%
Neutral16.7%
Negative63.9%

User reviews

Front Wars

From 28 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎮 Excellent Advance Wars spiritual successor
  • 👍 Intuitive turn-based strategy gameplay
  • 🎨 Good graphics and visual presentation
  • 💰 Affordable price point ($2.99-$3.99)
  • 🌐 Multiplayer functionality available

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
  • 🐛 Screen orientation issues
  • 🐛 UI elements cut off on notched devices (iPhone 15, rounded corners)
  • 🐛 Units hard to select and very small
  • 🐛 Touch detection dead zones on maps

Mortar Defense

From 243 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Simple and fun
  • 👍 Good for passing the time
  • 🚀 Hardly any ads

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and freezes
  • 🔋 Too many ads
  • 🔋 Ads interrupt gameplay
  • 🐛 Paid for no ads but still have them
  • 🐛 Progress lost after updates

Bugs and requests

Front Wars

Reported bugs

23 issues
  • Game crashes on startup or during gameplay
  • Cannot move units in certain missions
  • Screen rotation causes freezes
  • UI elements hidden behind notches on newer iPhones
  • Save button inaccessible in corners (rounded screen edges)
Show 18 more
  • AI turn never finishes in editor mode
  • Game Center multiplayer crashes and hangs
  • Cannot send game invitations
  • Multiplayer moves not registering
  • Stuck on loading screens
  • Cannot find unit errors
  • Bridges appearing everywhere in custom maps
  • Transport units not attacked by AI
  • Infantry capturing objectives while in transport
  • Damage percentage calculations incorrect for damaged units
  • 3-star rating not awarded properly
  • In-app purchases not working (map editor, campaigns)
  • Facebook authentication issues
  • Game stalls on start screen
  • Multiplayer invitations repeatedly prompt for Facebook connection
  • Inactive multiplayer games cannot be removed
  • Uneven terrain maps in multiplayer
  • Random unknown opponents appearing in multiplayer list

Requested features

20 requests
  • Undo function for unit movements
  • Animation speed controls or skip option
  • Fog of war mechanic
  • More unit types (submarines, destroyers, machine gun infantry, etc.)
  • Additional commanders/CO powers
Show 15 more
  • More campaign levels and missions
  • Map editor improvements and more user maps
  • Additional factions (Russia, Britain, Japan, Italy)
  • Naval combat expansion
  • Bunkers and trenches as defensive structures
  • Train units and train stations
  • 4-player multiplayer mode
  • Pacific theatre campaign
  • Zoom in/out functionality
  • Better AI difficulty settings
  • iCloud save syncing
  • More customization options
  • Terrain-specific battle backgrounds
  • Better sound effects
  • Story/narrative elements and cutscenes

Mortar Defense

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Game freezes at certain levels
  • Base building stops working
  • Buttons and functionality not working as expected

Requested features

4 requests
  • More challenging levels
  • Additional content and features
  • Ability to progress further in the game
  • Unlock missions

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Front Wars

One-time3
  • Map Editor$1.99
  • Africa Campaign$1.99
  • Axis Campaign$3.99
10 purchases

Mortar Defense

Subscriptions2
  • VIP Weekly Subscription$5.997 Days
  • VIP Monthly Subscription$14.991 Month
One-time8
  • Tiny Gem Pack$0.99
  • No Ads Bundle$4.99
  • Medium Gem Pack$4.99
Show 5 more
  • Premium Bundle$9.99
  • Big Gem Pack$9.99
  • Golden Pass$16.99
  • Large Gem Pack$19.99
  • Huge Gem Pack$49.99

Questions

Is Front Wars free?
Front Wars costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Mortar Defense free?
Mortar Defense is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Front Wars or Mortar Defense?
Mortar Defense is rated higher. Front Wars averages 3.5 out of 5 from 28 ratings, while Mortar Defense averages 4.1 from 243 ratings.
Do Front Wars or Mortar Defense have ads?
Mortar Defense shows ads; Front Wars does not.
Which is updated more often, Front Wars or Mortar Defense?
Front Wars ships an update every 3 weeks, and Mortar Defense monthly. Most recently, Front Wars was updated on November 6, 2026 and Mortar Defense on November 4, 2026.

Other comparisons