# 8bitWar vs AR Spiders

The clearest difference is price: 8bitWar at Free against AR Spiders's $2.99. 8bitWar also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and review sentiment (96% vs 75%). AR Spiders's advantage is ratings volume (2.1K vs 149) and chart position (#114 vs unranked). On update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

8bitWar is free to download; AR Spiders costs $2.99 up front. AR Spiders sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. 8bitWar asks for nothing beyond the download.

8bitWar holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: AR Spiders has 2.1K ratings behind it against 149, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 96% of 8bitWar's written reviews are positive against 75% of AR Spiders's.

8bitWar ships an update fortnightly, AR Spiders every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | 8bitWar | AR Spiders |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | **[4.8 (149 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/8bitwar-netherworld/id827101160/reviews)** | [4.5 (2.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ar-spiders/id1336663439/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 149 | **2.1K** |
| Positive reviews | **95.7% of reviews** | 75.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#114** |
| Size | 31 MB | 65 MB |
| Requires iOS | **6.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Rosendahl Software AB](https://appshunter.io/developer/591646413) | [Joachim Mertens](https://appshunter.io/developer/482454969) |

## What reviewers say

### 8bitWar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/8bitwar-netherworld/id827101160)

Engage in strategic battles by hiring and positioning units to counter enemy forces. Test your tactical skills across 180 levels, with options to play solo, against a friend on the same device, or online.

**Highlights:** Strategic unit placement, Tactical thinking, 180 levels, Local multiplayer, Online multiplayer

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Fun and addictive gameplay
- ⏱️ Quick matches perfect for short play sessions
- 🧠 Challenging strategy and tactics
- 💰 Free or affordable pricing
- 🎯 Simple to learn mechanics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📱 Poor UI scaling on iPhone (too small)
- 🎨 Retro graphics not appealing to all users
- 🐢 Giants move too slowly
- 🔁 Gameplay can feel repetitive
- 🎮 Limited unit variety

**Reported bugs**

- Game won't start on iPad Pro - unresponsive to input
- GameCenter multiplayer sign-in issues despite being logged in
- Graveyard level 14 crashes repeatedly on iPhone 5c
- UI elements too small and unresponsive on iPhone (wrong unit selection, dropped on wrong targets)

**Requested features**

- Ability to use enemy units in single player mode
- More levels and content updates
- Additional unit types and characters
- Upgrade system using coins or currency
- Unit targeting control (choose targets instead of auto-attack)


### AR Spiders

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ar-spiders/id1336663439)

**Currently charting:** #114 Top Paid · Entertainment (US App Store)

Place realistic spiders in your environment and interact with them. Scare them, command them, or let them attack. Record and share videos of your encounters with friends, enhanced by filter effects.

**Highlights:** Place virtual spiders in your environment, Interact with spiders, Command spiders to locations, Change spider size, Apply full-screen filter effects, Record and share videos

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PRO Version | Free | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🕷️ Realistic AR spiders
- 👍 Fun and engaging app
- 🎥 Good recording features
- 💡 Ability to prank friends

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and glitchy performance
- 🔒 Privacy concerns around location tracking
- 💰 Paywall for additional spider models

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to stop recording
- Failure to load or advance past initial screen
- Disappearing controls and UI elements

**Requested features**

- More free spider models
- Ability to spawn multiple spiders
- Improved recording and sharing options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 8bitWar free?

8bitWar is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is AR Spiders free?

AR Spiders costs $2.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, 8bitWar or AR Spiders?

8bitWar is rated higher. 8bitWar averages 4.8 out of 5 from 149 ratings, while AR Spiders averages 4.5 from 2.1K ratings.

### Do 8bitWar or AR Spiders have ads?

Neither 8bitWar nor AR Spiders shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, 8bitWar or AR Spiders?

8bitWar ships an update fortnightly, and AR Spiders every 3 weeks. Most recently, 8bitWar was updated on October 23, 2026 and AR Spiders 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.*