# Smash Champs vs Machinal Instinct

Smash Champs and Machinal Instinct both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 66% of Smash Champs's written reviews are positive against 51% of Machinal Instinct's. On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Smash Champs sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Machinal Instinct sells 9 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 — 4.6 for Smash Champs against 4.6 for Machinal Instinct. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.2K and 706 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 66% of Smash Champs's written reviews are positive against 51% of Machinal Instinct's.

Smash Champs ships an update every 2 months, Machinal Instinct every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Smash Champs | Machinal Instinct |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smash-champs/id878085263/reviews) | **[4.6 (706 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/machinal-instinct/id1438524773/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.2K** | 706 |
| Positive reviews | **66.2% of reviews** | 51.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 149 MB | 337 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.2 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Kiloo](https://appshunter.io/developer/330629809) | [Pomelo Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/899606172) |

## What reviewers say

### Smash Champs

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smash-champs/id878085263)

Train and lead your champions in turn-based online battles. Prepare for combat with fast-paced swipe actions and rise through the ranks to become a legendary trainer. Unlock new champions and customize them with powerful gear.

**Highlights:** Turn-based online play, Train Champs with swipe action, Rise through ranks, Unlock and customize Champs, Spectacular combat cinematics

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cool Cash | $4.99 | one-time |
| Big Bucks | $19.99 | one-time |
| Huge Hoard | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and addictive game
- 🎨 Great character design
- 💯 Nostalgic and memorable
- 🕹️ Classic gameplay

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Lack of opponents/players
- ⏳ Long wait times for matches
- 🔒 Unable to connect Facebook account

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when opening boxes
- Opponents not showing up
- Losing progress after updates
- Compatibility issues on newer devices

**Requested features**

- Add more characters and elements
- Implement single-player mode
- Allow character customization
- Improve matchmaking and opponent availability
- Add cloud save/sync functionality


### Machinal Instinct

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/machinal-instinct/id1438524773)

Engage in fast-paced mech battles in a global tournament where animal pilots command powerful machines. Customize your fighting style with various weapons and upgrade your mech with unlockable parts to climb the global leaderboard.

**Highlights:** Select from 6 mech pilots, Customize melee and ranged weapons, Win supply boxes for rewards, Unlock and combine upgradable mech parts, Battle in 3 different arenas, Climb the global leaderboard

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Gems x80 pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $3.99 | one-time |
| Gems x500 pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $7.99 | one-time |
| Gems x1,200 pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Gems x2,500 pack | $19.99 | one-time |
| Gems x6,500 pack | $49.99 | one-time |
| Gems x14,000 pack | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth animations
- 👍 Fun and engaging gameplay
- 🕹️ Accessible controls
- 💎 Great fighting game fundamentals

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inconsistent attack targeting
- 🔧 Buggy mechanics and controls
- 🕰️ Short match duration
- 🤖 Mostly playing against bots
- 📺 Excessive ads and monetization

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on startup
- Freezing at loading screens
- Matchmaking issues
- Inconsistent performance

**Requested features**

- Longer match duration
- Real-time multiplayer mode
- More character and weapon variety
- Customizable controls
- Additional game modes (e.g. endless, team battles)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Smash Champs free?

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

### Is Machinal Instinct free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Smash Champs or Machinal Instinct?

Machinal Instinct is rated higher. Smash Champs averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.2K ratings, while Machinal Instinct averages 4.6 from 706 ratings.

### Do Smash Champs or Machinal Instinct have ads?

Both Smash Champs and Machinal Instinct show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Smash Champs or Machinal Instinct?

Smash Champs ships an update every 2 months, and Machinal Instinct every 3 weeks. Most recently, Smash Champs was updated on October 29, 2026 and Machinal Instinct on October 29, 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.*