# Drone vs FPV Drone Operator

Drone and FPV Drone Operator both sit at 4.4 stars, but that hides the real split: 76% of Drone's written reviews are positive against 40% of FPV Drone Operator's. FPV Drone Operator's advantage is update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Drone sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and FPV Drone Operator sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Drone against 4.4 for FPV Drone Operator. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.2K and 452 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 76% of Drone's written reviews are positive against 40% of FPV Drone Operator's.

Drone ships an update every 3 months, FPV Drone Operator every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Drone | FPV Drone Operator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drone-shadow-strike/id824808682/reviews) | [4.4 (452 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fpv-drone-operator/id6615081560/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.2K** | 452 |
| Positive reviews | **76.5% of reviews** | 39.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 505 MB | 437 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Reliance Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/1673672114) | [Yuri Dyachenko](https://appshunter.io/developer/1704166996) |

## 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


### FPV Drone Operator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fpv-drone-operator/id6615081560)

Control a high-tech combat drone to destroy enemy vehicles and infantry in this action-simulation game. Experience intense gameplay with tactical challenges across various locations, utilizing kamikaze drones and a drone with drops for strategic attacks. Immerse yourself in realistic combat scenarios with first-person view and ragdoll physics.

**Highlights:** Control high-tech combat drones, Destroy enemy vehicles and infantry, Kamikaze drone attacks, Drone with drops, First-person view piloting, Realistic ragdoll physics, Multiple combat locations

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Drone with auto-guidance | $4.99 | one-time |
| Drone with a nuclear charge | $4.99 | one-time |
| Drone with napalm | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Entertaining and fun
- 👍 Realistic gameplay
- 🇺🇦 Support for Ukraine
- 🔥 Good potential

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitches and bugs
- 📺 Too many ads
- 🎮 Uncomfortable controls
- 🎨 Lacking visual polish

**Reported bugs**

- Drone bombing issues
- Inconsistent damage detection
- Inability to play offline
- Performance problems

**Requested features**

- Controller support
- More levels and missions
- Ability to remove ads
- Improved FPV controls
- More diverse enemy types


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Drone free?

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

### Is FPV Drone Operator free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Drone or FPV Drone Operator?

Drone and FPV Drone Operator are both rated 4.4 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1.2K and 452 ratings respectively.

### Do Drone or FPV Drone Operator have ads?

Both Drone and FPV Drone Operator show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Drone or FPV Drone Operator?

Drone ships an update every 3 months, and FPV Drone Operator every 5 weeks. Most recently, Drone was updated on September 23, 2026 and FPV Drone Operator on September 20, 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.*
