# Plunder Pirates vs DomiNations

The clearest difference is ads: Plunder Pirates at none against DomiNations's shown. Plunder Pirates also leads on review sentiment (76% vs 52%) and iOS requirement (7.0 vs 13.0). DomiNations's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 weeks) and ratings volume (39K vs 3.8K). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Plunder Pirates sells 14 one-off in-app purchases and DomiNations sells 13 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Plunder Pirates against 4.5 for DomiNations. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: DomiNations has 39K ratings behind it against 3.8K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 76% of Plunder Pirates's written reviews are positive against 52% of DomiNations's.

Plunder Pirates ships an update every 6 weeks, DomiNations every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Plunder Pirates | DomiNations |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (3.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plunder-pirates/id845129661/reviews) | [4.5 (39K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dominations/id922558758/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 3.8K | **39K** |
| Positive reviews | **75.6% of reviews** | 52.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#124** |
| Size | 193 MB | 293 MB |
| Requires iOS | **7.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Midoki](https://appshunter.io/developer/536203135) | [SecretNewCo, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/863164810) |

## What reviewers say

### Plunder Pirates

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plunder-pirates/id845129661)

Build a formidable pirate island, recruit a diverse crew, and engage in real-time battles against other players. Explore the seas, defend your territory, and become the most infamous captain in this 3D adventure.

**Highlights:** Build an epic 3D pirate island, Storm other players' islands in real-time, Recruit a crew from 10 classes, Upgrade island defenses and crew, Join a Pirate Guild with friends, Explore uncharted waters, Fight naval battles and sea monsters

**In-app purchases (14)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| A Handful of Gems II | $0.99 | one-time |
| The Plunder Pack II | $0.99 | one-time |
| A Handful of Gems III | $1.99 | one-time |
| The Plunder Pack III | $1.99 | one-time |
| A Handful of Gems | $4.99 | one-time |
| The Plunder Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| GEM BUNDLE! | $4.99 | one-time |
| GOLDEN OUTFIT DEAL! | $4.99 | one-time |
| A Pouch of Gems | $9.99 | one-time |
| GEM BUNDLE! | $9.99 | one-time |
| MAXIMUM RESOURCES! | $9.99 | one-time |
| A Sack of Gems | $19.99 | one-time |
| A Box of Gems | $49.99 | one-time |
| A Chest of Gems | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🏴‍☠️ Pirate theme and graphics
- 👍 Addictive and fun gameplay
- 🎨 Beautiful animations and visuals
- 🕹️ Unique exploration and sailing mechanics

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⏱️ Slow progression and long upgrade times
- 🔁 Repetitive gameplay loop
- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes when trying to build guild hall
- Issues with loading assets and server connectivity
- UI elements not scaling properly on newer devices

**Requested features**

- More frequent updates and new content
- Ability to trade resources with guild members
- Option to customize own pirate captain
- Improved matchmaking for guild battles


### DomiNations

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dominations/id922558758)

**Currently charting:** #124 Top Grossing · Action, #197 Top Grossing · Strategy (US App Store)

Build a thriving empire from ancient times to the modern era. Command armies, research technologies, and engage in real-time strategy battles against other players. Conquer the world through warfare and strategic development.

**Highlights:** Build and upgrade your empire through historical ages, Command armies in real-time strategy battles, Research new technologies and unlock advanced weaponry, Choose from diverse historical civilizations, Build Wonders of the World, Engage in PvP combat and World War events

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

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sale Purchase Tier 1 Type C | $0.99 | one-time |
| Sale Purchase Tier 2 Type A | $1.99 | one-time |
| Sale Purchase Tier 4 Type D | $3.99 | one-time |
| Pile of Crowns | $4.99 | one-time |
| Sale 5 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Sale 6 | $5.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Stack of Crowns | $9.99 | one-time |
| Sale Purchase Tier 10 Type A | $9.99 | one-time |
| Sale 15 | $14.99 | one-time |
| Mound of Crowns | $19.99 | one-time |
| Plethora of Crowns | $49.99 | one-time |
| Mountain of Crowns | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Awesome game since 2016
- 👍 Can compete without paying
- 💡 Helpful Discord community
- 🚀 Developers improve bugs/glitches

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent connection issues
- 🕰️ Extremely long upgrade times
- 💰 Game is pay-to-win
- 🤖 Poor troop AI and battle mechanics
- 🔒 Terrible customer support

**Reported bugs**

- Replays don't match actual attacks
- Disappearing/lost troops after crashes
- Incorrect age/building information
- Free crowns not awarded properly

**Requested features**

- Allow rotating/centering buildings
- Add more nations to choose from
- Improve matchmaking and defense balance
- Reduce upgrade/training times
- Add ability to test own defenses


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Plunder Pirates free?

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

### Is DomiNations free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Plunder Pirates or DomiNations?

Plunder Pirates and DomiNations are both rated 4.5 out of 5 on the App Store, from 3.8K and 39K ratings respectively.

### Do Plunder Pirates or DomiNations have ads?

DomiNations shows ads; Plunder Pirates does not.

### Which is updated more often, Plunder Pirates or DomiNations?

Plunder Pirates ships an update every 6 weeks, and DomiNations every 2 weeks. Most recently, Plunder Pirates was updated on October 14, 2026 and DomiNations 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.*