# XCOM® vs Northgard

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: XCOM® at none against Northgard's 12. XCOM® also leads on price ($4.99 vs $7.99) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 13.6). Northgard's advantage is rating (4.6 vs 4.3) and chart position (#29 vs #99). On review sentiment, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

XCOM® costs $4.99 and Northgard $7.99 up front. Northgard sells 12 one-off in-app purchases. XCOM® asks for nothing beyond the download.

Northgard holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5.6K and 3.6K respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 62% and 61% positive.

XCOM® ships an update monthly, Northgard every 6 weeks. Both last shipped on October 2, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | XCOM® | Northgard |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$4.99** | $7.99 |
| Rating | [4.3 (5.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xcom-enemy-within/id881270303/reviews) | **[4.6 (3.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/northgard/id1533979882/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **5.6K** | 3.6K |
| Positive reviews | **62.0% of reviews** | 61.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | #99 | **#29** |
| Size | 3.3 GB | 892 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 13.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [2K](https://appshunter.io/developer/324563547) | [Playdigious](https://appshunter.io/developer/1041387229) |

## What reviewers say

### XCOM®

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xcom-enemy-within/id881270303)

**Currently charting:** #99 Top Paid · Action, #100 Top Paid · Strategy (US App Store)

This is a standalone expansion to a critically acclaimed strategy game, offering new soldiers, abilities, enemies, maps, and a multiplayer mode. Players can upgrade their soldiers with genetic modifications and cybersuits, research new weapons, and counter new alien threats.

**Highlights:** New soldier abilities (genetics & cybersuits), New weapons and equipment, New enemy types and organization, New strategic resource (Meld), New story missions, New multiplayer maps, units, and abilities

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent port of the PC game
- 👍 Great gameplay and strategy
- 💎 Addictive and replayable
- 🎮 Faithful to the XCOM franchise
- 🔝 Best strategy game on iOS

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Difficult to control on small screens
- 🔋 Battery draining
- 🗺️ Limited map selection compared to PC
- 🔇 Sound issues and lack of audio options

**Reported bugs**

- Tutorial getting stuck
- Crashes when returning to base
- Inability to move soldiers to elevated positions
- Unresponsive menus and UI
- Progression-blocking bugs

**Requested features**

- Controller support
- Improved camera controls
- Full screen support for newer devices
- Update to fix compatibility issues
- More customization options


### Northgard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/northgard/id1533979882)

**Currently charting:** #29 Top Paid · Role Playing, #78 Top Paid · Strategy (US App Store)

Lead a Viking clan to explore, settle, and conquer a mysterious new continent. Manage resources, assign jobs, and survive harsh winters and dangerous foes. Choose your clan's path to victory through conquest, trade, or devotion.

**Highlights:** Build and manage settlements, Assign Vikings to jobs, Resource management and survival, Territory expansion and discovery, Multiple victory conditions, Story mode campaign, Multiplayer modes

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Clan of the Rat | $2.95 | one-time |
| Clan of the Squirrel | $2.99 | one-time |
| Clan of the snake | $2.99 | one-time |
| Clan of the Dragon | $2.99 | one-time |
| Clan of the Horse | $2.99 | one-time |
| Clan of the Ox | $2.99 | one-time |
| Clan of the Kraken | $2.99 | one-time |
| Clan of the Lynx | $2.99 | one-time |
| Clan of the Eagle | $2.99 | one-time |
| Scale Bundle | $6.99 | one-time |
| Fur Bundle | $6.99 | one-time |
| Winter Bundle | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great game
- 👍 Fantastic strategy game
- 👍 Challenging and fun
- 👍 Excellent port to mobile
- 👍 Lots of replayability

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes
- 🐛 Buggy menus and UI
- 🔋 Battery draining
- 🐛 Glitchy audio
- 🐛 Saves getting deleted

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes frequently
- Menus and UI are buggy
- Audio glitches and cuts out
- Saves get deleted unexpectedly
- Multiplayer is unreliable

**Requested features**

- Add multiplayer mode
- Improve tutorial and instructions
- Add controller support
- Optimize performance and stability
- Add Chinese language support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is XCOM® free?

XCOM® costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Northgard free?

Northgard costs $7.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, XCOM® or Northgard?

Northgard is rated higher. XCOM® averages 4.3 out of 5 from 5.6K ratings, while Northgard averages 4.6 from 3.6K ratings.

### Do XCOM® or Northgard have ads?

Neither XCOM® nor Northgard shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, XCOM® or Northgard?

XCOM® ships an update monthly, and Northgard every 6 weeks. Most recently, XCOM® was updated on October 2, 2026 and Northgard on October 2, 2026.

### Which is more popular, XCOM® or Northgard?

XCOM® currently peaks at #99 in the App Store charts, and Northgard at #29. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*