# Front Wars vs Mortar Defense

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.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Front Wars | Mortar Defense |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $3.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.5 (28 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/front-wars/id720862572/reviews) | **[4.1 (243 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mortar-defense-trench-war/id6475679030/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 28 | **243** |
| Positive reviews | **46.0% of reviews** | 19.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#194** | — |
| Size | 106 MB | 282 MB |
| Requires iOS | **6.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Gregory Challant](https://appshunter.io/developer/699680332) | [MOONEE PUBLISHING LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1469957859) |

## What reviewers say

### Front Wars

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/front-wars/id720862572)

**Currently charting:** #194 Top Paid · Strategy (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Map Editor | $1.99 | one-time |
| Africa Campaign | $1.99 | one-time |
| Axis Campaign | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

- 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)

**Requested features**

- 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


### Mortar Defense

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mortar-defense-trench-war/id6475679030)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| VIP Weekly Subscription | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| VIP Monthly Subscription | $14.99 | per month |
| Tiny Gem Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| No Ads Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Medium Gem Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Premium Bundle | $9.99 | one-time |
| Big Gem Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Golden Pass | $16.99 | one-time |
| Large Gem Pack | $19.99 | one-time |
| Huge Gem Pack | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- Game freezes at certain levels
- Base building stops working
- Buttons and functionality not working as expected

**Requested features**

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


## Frequently asked 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.

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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.*