# Devil Shard vs Dungeon Defense

The clearest difference is update cadence: Dungeon Defense at every 3 weeks against Devil Shard's every 7 months. Dungeon Defense also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.4) and ratings volume (701 vs 45). On review sentiment, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Devil Shard costs $1.99 and Dungeon Defense $0.99 up front. Devil Shard sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and Dungeon Defense sells 18 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Dungeon Defense holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dungeon Defense has 701 ratings behind it against 45, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 84% of Devil Shard's written reviews are positive against 90% of Dungeon Defense's.

Devil Shard ships an update every 7 months, Dungeon Defense every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Devil Shard | Dungeon Defense |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **$0.99** |
| Rating | [4.4 (45 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/devil-shard/id869735685/reviews) | **[4.8 (701 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dungeon-defense-the-gate/id1195035357/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 45 | **701** |
| Positive reviews | 83.7% of reviews | **90.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 47 MB | 59 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [GUAN LING WU](https://appshunter.io/developer/517689895) | [GameCoaster](https://appshunter.io/developer/1195035356) |

## What reviewers say

### Devil Shard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/devil-shard/id869735685)

Embark on a retro-style match-3 RPG adventure to stop a war and face a great evil. Plan strategic combos, unlock powerful allies, and collect diverse equipment. Conquer numerous enemies and stages to uncover the truth and achieve a true ending.

**Highlights:** Match-3 puzzle with RPG elements, Strategic tile swapping for combos, Unlock and summon 9 incarnations, Collect and upgrade 32 equipment, Battle 37 different enemies, Complete 8 story stages and a hidden stage

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1000G | $0.99 | one-time |
| 2500G | $1.99 | one-time |
| 7500G | $4.99 | one-time |
| 17500G | $9.99 | one-time |
| 40000G | $19.99 | one-time |
| 75000G | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Addictive and engaging gameplay mechanics
- 🎨 Beautiful retro pixel art style
- 🎵 Great music and audio design
- ⚡ Simple yet challenging match-3 combat system
- 📱 Perfect for quick gaming sessions

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⚙️ Excessive grinding required for progression
- 💀 Harsh death penalty resets all character progress
- 💰 Pay-to-win mechanics and aggressive monetization
- 🎲 Heavy reliance on RNG and luck
- 😤 Unfair difficulty spikes in later dungeons

**Reported bugs**

- Item selection scroll problem on iPhone 6s Plus (items display in middle of screen)
- Unable to equip, melt, or forge items on certain devices
- In-app purchase functionality broken
- Character equipment not persisting correctly
- No undo option for melted items

**Requested features**

- Swipeable match-3 controls (standard for genre)
- More customization options for character progression
- Persistent progress or checkpoints upon death
- Better equipment distribution and tile spawning
- Reduced grinding requirements


### Dungeon Defense

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dungeon-defense-the-gate/id1195035357)

Defend your dungeon from invading heroes by collecting and strengthening weapons and monsters. Build your dungeon, achieve goals, and enjoy retro graphics and sounds in this easy-to-play strategy game.

**Highlights:** Defend your dungeon, Collect and strengthen weapons and monsters, Dungeon building, Retro graphics and sounds, Mercenary synergy organization, Achievement rewards

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

**In-app purchases (18)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 660 Rebirth stones | $2.99 | one-time |
| 180 Rubies | $2.99 | one-time |
| Feature Package | $3.99 | one-time |
| 1100 Rebirth Stones | $3.99 | one-time |
| 300 Rubies | $3.99 | one-time |
| Magic Package | $8.99 | one-time |
| 2400 Rebirth Stones | $8.99 | one-time |
| 660 Rubies | $8.99 | one-time |
| Element EXP increase | $8.99 | one-time |
| Rebirth EXP increase | $8.99 | one-time |
| Total Package | $15.99 | one-time |
| Automatic Package | $15.99 | one-time |
| Element Package | $15.99 | one-time |
| Ring Package | $24.99 | one-time |
| 8400 Rebirth Stones | $24.99 | one-time |
| 2160 Rubies | $24.99 | one-time |
| Hell Package | $24.99 | one-time |
| 4,200 Rubies | $41.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Fun gameplay
- 👍 Great value for money
- 🕹️ Engaging tower defense mechanics
- 🎨 Charming retro graphics
- 🔥 Addictive and replayable

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤔 Lack of clear instructions or tutorials
- 🕰️ Can become repetitive or grindy over time
- 🐛 Some reported crashes or bugs
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🙁 Lack of updates or new content

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on certain devices or iOS versions
- Issues with in-app purchases not working

**Requested features**

- More character/class variety
- Additional game modes or challenges
- Improved UI and quality-of-life features
- Cloud save/sync functionality
- Ability to restore in-app purchases


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Devil Shard free?

Devil Shard costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Dungeon Defense free?

Dungeon Defense costs $0.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Devil Shard or Dungeon Defense?

Dungeon Defense is rated higher. Devil Shard averages 4.4 out of 5 from 45 ratings, while Dungeon Defense averages 4.8 from 701 ratings.

### Do Devil Shard or Dungeon Defense have ads?

Neither Devil Shard nor Dungeon Defense shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Devil Shard or Dungeon Defense?

Devil Shard ships an update every 7 months, and Dungeon Defense every 3 weeks. Most recently, Devil Shard was updated on September 25, 2026 and Dungeon Defense on September 28, 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.*