# Hoplite vs Crying Suns

The clearest difference is price: Hoplite at $3.99 against Crying Suns's $8.99. Hoplite also leads on review sentiment (91% vs 73%) and chart position (#57 vs unranked). Crying Suns's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). On rating, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Hoplite costs $3.99 and Crying Suns $8.99 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 — 4.7 for Hoplite against 4.8 for Crying Suns. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 787 and 2.1K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 91% of Hoplite's written reviews are positive against 73% of Crying Suns's.

Hoplite ships an update every 3 months, Crying Suns monthly. Both last shipped on October 16, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hoplite | Crying Suns |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$3.99** | $8.99 |
| Rating | [4.7 (787 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hoplite/id782438457/reviews) | **[4.8 (2.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crying-suns/id1511788295/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 787 | **2.1K** |
| Positive reviews | **90.8% of reviews** | 72.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#57** | — |
| Size | 39 MB | 1014 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Douglas Cowley](https://appshunter.io/developer/782438460) | [Alternative Shift](https://appshunter.io/developer/394617049) |

## What reviewers say

### Hoplite

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hoplite/id782438457)

**Currently charting:** #57 Top Paid · Puzzle, #93 Top Paid · Strategy (US App Store)

Engage in challenging turn-based tactical combat on small maps. Strategize your moves carefully to overcome procedurally generated levels and unlock upgrades. Compete with friends on leaderboards and test your skills in daily challenges.

**Highlights:** Turn-based tactical movement, Procedurally generated levels, Quest mode with upgrades, Challenge mode with daily challenges, Leaderboard rankings, Hard but fair gameplay

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Simple yet deep gameplay
- 👍 Addictive and challenging
- 🕹️ Elegant and intuitive controls
- 💎 Excellent value for money
- 🔍 Surprising depth and strategy

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or compatibility issues
- 🔧 Lack of landscape mode support
- 🔊 Mutes music/podcast playback
- 🕹️ Accidental moves due to controls

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on launch with certain OS versions
- Agility upgrade not functioning properly

**Requested features**

- More game modes or levels
- Customization options for the character
- Landscape mode support
- Ability to start at higher levels


### Crying Suns

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crying-suns/id1511788295)

Command a space fleet in a tactical rogue-lite inspired by classic sci-fi. Explore a procedurally generated universe, engage in strategic ship battles, and uncover a deep storyline across six chapters. Experience a rich narrative and atmospheric gameplay designed for mobile.

**Highlights:** Procedurally-generated space exploration, Tactical battleship and squadron fleet combat, Over 300 story events, Deep, 6-chapter storyline, Mobile-optimized interface

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fun gameplay
- 🌟 Amazing atmosphere and story
- 👍 Engaging combat system
- 💎 Great value for money

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Small text and UI elements
- 🔁 Repetitive gameplay and missions

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes when using certain ship abilities
- Crashes during end-of-chapter cutscenes
- Progression-blocking bugs preventing access to new content
- Inability to progress past specific story points due to crashes

**Requested features**

- Zoom functionality for combat screen
- Ability to play own music during gameplay
- Endless mode or sandbox option
- Improved tutorial to explain key mechanics


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hoplite free?

Hoplite costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Crying Suns free?

Crying Suns costs $8.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Hoplite or Crying Suns?

Crying Suns is rated higher. Hoplite averages 4.7 out of 5 from 787 ratings, while Crying Suns averages 4.8 from 2.1K ratings.

### Do Hoplite or Crying Suns have ads?

Neither Hoplite nor Crying Suns shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hoplite or Crying Suns?

Hoplite ships an update every 3 months, and Crying Suns monthly. Most recently, Hoplite was updated on October 16, 2026 and Crying Suns on October 16, 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.*