# Drone vs Drone Defender 3D

The clearest difference is rating: Drone at 4.4 against Drone Defender 3D's 3.9. Drone also leads on review sentiment (76% vs 41%) and ratings volume (1.2K vs 43). Drone Defender 3D's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Drone sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Drone Defender 3D asks for nothing beyond the download.

Drone holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Drone has 1.2K ratings behind it against 43, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of Drone's written reviews are positive against 41% of Drone Defender 3D's.

Drone ships an update every 2 months, Drone Defender 3D every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Drone | Drone Defender 3D |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drone-shadow-strike/id824808682/reviews)** | [3.9 (43 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drone-defender-3d-war-strike/id6449935510/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.2K** | 43 |
| Positive reviews | **76.5% of reviews** | 41.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 545 MB | 1007 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Reliance Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/1673672114) | [DEVGEIM](https://appshunter.io/developer/1462267626) |

## What reviewers say

### Drone

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drone-shadow-strike/id824808682)

Engage in covert aerial warfare as a special ops operator, piloting advanced drones with a vast arsenal. Strategize and execute air strikes in immersive, real-world inspired environments to complete challenging missions and dominate the battlefield.

**Highlights:** Pilot 8 types of advanced UCAVs, Arsenal of weapons: cannons, missiles, rockets, bombs, 34 missions across 5 campaigns, Live Events and Global Leaderboard, Upgradeable drone systems, Intuitive touch controls

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Stack of Gold | $4.99 | one-time |
| Cash Doubler Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| The Starter Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Pile of Gold | $9.99 | one-time |
| “Bring The Rain” | $14.99 | one-time |
| Crate of Gold | $19.99 | one-time |
| Stealth Pack | $19.99 | one-time |
| Cyberhawk Pack | $24.99 | one-time |
| Truckload | $29.99 | one-time |
| Wraith Bundle Pack | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great game older than you think
- 🚀 Awesome game with or without spending money
- 👍 Very nostalgic and fun
- 👍 Pleasantly surprised with gameplay and no money grabbing
- 👍 Truly the best game ever

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Lame money grab, forces ads to progress
- 🐛 Drone repair feature doesn't work as advertised
- 🐛 Paid for gold but didn't receive it
- 🐛 Glitch where can't get past drone abilities screen after purchase
- 🐛 Paid for higher in-app purchase but never received it

**Reported bugs**

- Rewards don't register in leaderboard
- Longbow cannon damage gets nerfed after upgrading
- Game resets progress after update
- Game crashes or freezes frequently
- Game won't load or open after update

**Requested features**

- Add Ukraine-Russia War Mode and US-China Cold War Mode
- Add free roam mode with no missions, just blowing things up
- Add more levels and maps
- Add ability to convert in-game cash to gold
- Add more weapons and drones


### Drone Defender 3D

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drone-defender-3d-war-strike/id6449935510)

Engage in intense aerial combat defending buildings from invaders using a fleet of drones. Maneuver your drones, utilize various weapons, and launch explosive kamikaze drones to overcome advanced enemies and protect your base. Experience realistic graphics and sound effects in this thrilling war and flight simulator.

**Highlights:** Drone combat and defense, Multiple weapon types, Kamikaze drone deployment, Base defense missions, Drone upgrades, Realistic graphics and sound

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Drone free?

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

### Is Drone Defender 3D free?

Drone Defender 3D is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Drone or Drone Defender 3D?

Drone is rated higher. Drone averages 4.4 out of 5 from 1.2K ratings, while Drone Defender 3D averages 3.9 from 43 ratings.

### Do Drone or Drone Defender 3D have ads?

Both Drone and Drone Defender 3D show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Drone or Drone Defender 3D?

Drone ships an update every 2 months, and Drone Defender 3D every 3 months. Most recently, Drone was updated on October 26, 2026 and Drone Defender 3D 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.*