# John Mad Run vs Dan The Man Platformer

The clearest difference is rating: Dan The Man Platformer at 4.8 against John Mad Run's 4.2. Dan The Man Platformer also leads on ratings volume (162K vs 12) and update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 3 months). John Mad Run's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ads (none vs shown). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Dan The Man Platformer sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. John Mad Run asks for nothing beyond the download.

Dan The Man Platformer holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dan The Man Platformer has 162K ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 62% of John Mad Run's written reviews are positive against 79% of Dan The Man Platformer's.

John Mad Run ships an update every 3 months, Dan The Man Platformer every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | John Mad Run | Dan The Man Platformer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/john-mad-run/id844148083/reviews) | **[4.8 (162K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dan-the-man-platformer/id981796690/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 12 | **162K** |
| Positive reviews | 62.2% of reviews | **78.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 4 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 41 MB | 150 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Happymagenta UAB](https://appshunter.io/developer/1105393733) | [Halfbrick](https://appshunter.io/developer/356994313) |

## What reviewers say

### John Mad Run

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/john-mad-run/id844148083)

Embark on a relentless fight for survival as John, a target with deadly skills. Wield powerful weapons like a laser and sword to decimate hordes of enemies, master your reflexes to dodge traps, and leave a trail of bloody destruction.

**Highlights:** Intense run'n'gun gameplay, Unlockable laser weapon, Melee combat with a sword, Dodge deadly traps, High-octane enemy elimination

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Addictive and fun gameplay mechanics
- 🎨 Retro pixel art style with good graphics
- 🎵 Great soundtrack and audio design
- 💰 Minimal in-app purchases and ads
- ⚡ Simple and easy to pick up controls

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Screen display issues (half screen visibility)
- 🐛 Unresponsive and buggy controls
- 🐛 Weapon firing lag and unresponsiveness
- 🐛 Secondary weapon (knife/sword) stops working mid-run

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on launch (iOS 17)
- Screen only displays half the game interface
- Controls unresponsive to swipe inputs
- Firing mechanism requires rapid tapping to work
- Knife/sword stops functioning after 2-3 runs

**Requested features**

- More weapons and gun variety
- Character customization and outfit options
- Power-ups and special abilities
- Boss encounters and story mode
- Multiple level maps and scenery changes


### Dan The Man Platformer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dan-the-man-platformer/id981796690)

Embark on a retro-style arcade adventure with a compelling story, upgradeable skills, and an arsenal of weapons. Engage in a classic beat-em-up cooperative multiplayer mode, either with a friend or a quick match, to defeat hordes of enemies and epic bosses.

**Highlights:** Cooperative multiplayer mode, Retro arcade gameplay, Upgradeable fighting skills, Epic arsenal of weapons, Funny story, Boss fights

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PREMIUM SPECIAL OFFER | $0.99 | one-time |
| 1,000 Gold Coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| Premium (remove ads) | $2.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack 1 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Barry Steakfries | $4.99 | one-time |
| 5,500 Gold Coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| BARRY + PREMIUM | $5.99 | one-time |
| Winter Campaign | $5.99 | one-time |
| Fright Zone | $5.99 | one-time |
| 12,000 Gold Coins | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun gameplay
- 🚀 Engaging story
- 💡 Unique character customization
- 🎨 Retro pixel art style

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🕰️ Long wait times for levels
- 📺 Excessive ads
- 💰 Paywall for premium features
- 🐛 Crashes and bugs

**Reported bugs**

- Checkpoint ads not loading
- Weapons getting stuck in the environment
- Inconsistent performance on older devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to save progress across devices
- Offline mode without ads
- More varied enemy types and boss fights
- Separate story mode for hard difficulty


## Frequently asked questions

### Is John Mad Run free?

John Mad Run is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Dan The Man Platformer free?

Dan The Man Platformer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, John Mad Run or Dan The Man Platformer?

Dan The Man Platformer is rated higher. John Mad Run averages 4.2 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while Dan The Man Platformer averages 4.8 from 162K ratings.

### Do John Mad Run or Dan The Man Platformer have ads?

Dan The Man Platformer shows ads; John Mad Run does not.

### Which is updated more often, John Mad Run or Dan The Man Platformer?

John Mad Run ships an update every 3 months, and Dan The Man Platformer every 4 weeks. Most recently, John Mad Run was updated on November 1, 2026 and Dan The Man Platformer on November 7, 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.*