# The Ensign vs Candybox

The clearest difference is price: Candybox at Free against The Ensign's $1.99. Candybox also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 2 months). The Ensign's advantage is rating (4.6 vs 3.2) and review sentiment (86% vs 44%). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Candybox is free to download; The Ensign costs $1.99 up front. Candybox sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. The Ensign asks for nothing beyond the download.

The Ensign holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Ensign has 552 ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of The Ensign's written reviews are positive against 44% of Candybox's.

The Ensign ships an update every 2 months, Candybox daily. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Ensign | Candybox |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.6 (552 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-ensign/id908073488/reviews)** | [3.2 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/candybox-mobile/id6630378383/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **552** | 15 |
| Positive reviews | **86.2% of reviews** | 44.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#99** | — |
| Size | 32 MB | 31 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 13.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | +12 | 4+ |
| Developer | [Amirali Rajan](https://appshunter.io/developer/736683064) | [Noe LE PHILIPPE](https://appshunter.io/developer/1637610714) |

## What reviewers say

### The Ensign

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-ensign/id908073488)

**Currently charting:** #99 Top Paid · Role Playing, #194 Top Paid · Adventure (US App Store)

Embark on a challenging narrative-driven adventure where your choices have dire consequences. This game offers a fully accessible experience for VoiceOver users, delivering a difficult yet rewarding gameplay loop.

**Highlights:** 100% VoiceOver playable, Challenging gameplay, Narrative-driven, No ads, No data collection, No in-app purchases

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 Compelling story and world-building
- 🤖 Unique and challenging gameplay
- 🎮 Rewarding progression and sense of accomplishment
- 💎 Excellent prequel to A Dark Room
- 🧠 Encourages strategic thinking and decision-making

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤯 Extremely difficult and punishing at times
- 🔁 Frustrating to restart from the beginning after dying
- 🕹️ Lack of checkpoints or save options
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🧭 Unclear navigation and objectives at times

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashing when trying to collect loot
- Inconsistencies between item descriptions and inventory
- Saved progress being lost after closing the app

**Requested features**

- Ability to save progress and resume later
- Difficulty settings or optional modes
- More narrative depth and character development
- Improved accessibility and UI for visually impaired players


### Candybox

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/candybox-mobile/id6630378383)

Embark on an ASCII art role-playing adventure starting with candy collection. Discover a world of quests, battles, exploration, and crafting. Unravel mysteries and upgrade your character to uncover hidden secrets.

**Highlights:** Candy collection and resource management, Text-based role-playing adventure, Combat against various enemies, Exploration of diverse game worlds, Quest completion and puzzle solving, Crafting and item upgrading, Discovery of hidden secrets and Easter eggs

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove ads | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Ensign free?

The Ensign costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Candybox free?

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

### Which has better reviews, The Ensign or Candybox?

The Ensign is rated higher. The Ensign averages 4.6 out of 5 from 552 ratings, while Candybox averages 3.2 from 15 ratings.

### Do The Ensign or Candybox have ads?

Neither The Ensign nor Candybox shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Ensign or Candybox?

The Ensign ships an update every 2 months, and Candybox daily. Most recently, The Ensign was updated on October 24, 2026 and Candybox on October 24, 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.*