# DomiNations vs Pirates Battles!

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Pirates Battles! at 100% against DomiNations's 52%. Pirates Battles! also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (7.0 vs 13.0). DomiNations's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months) and chart position (#160 vs unranked). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. DomiNations sells 13 one-off in-app purchases and Pirates Battles! sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

DomiNations ships an update every 2 weeks, Pirates Battles! every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | DomiNations | Pirates Battles! |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (39K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dominations/id922558758/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **39K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 52.1% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#160** | — |
| Size | 294 MB | 99 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **7.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [SecretNewCo, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/863164810) | [Tristenblake](https://appshunter.io/developer/580831768) |

## What reviewers say

### DomiNations

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

**Currently charting:** #160 Top Grossing · Action (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


### Pirates Battles!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pirates-battles/id954299975)

Engage in epic pirate wars and build an invincible fort. Battle players worldwide, form brotherhoods, and search for ancient treasures. This free strategy game offers online multiplayer and in-game purchases.

**Highlights:** Build pirate fort, Online multiplayer battles, Form pirate brotherhoods, Steal loot and destroy forts, Search for treasure, Sharpen attack skills

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Fistful of Coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| Bag of Сoins | $9.99 | one-time |
| Sack of Сoins | $19.99 | one-time |
| Barrel of Сoins | $49.99 | one-time |
| Chest of Сoins | $99.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is DomiNations free?

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

### Is Pirates Battles! free?

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

### Do DomiNations or Pirates Battles! have ads?

DomiNations shows ads; Pirates Battles! does not.

### Which is updated more often, DomiNations or Pirates Battles!?

DomiNations ships an update every 2 weeks, and Pirates Battles! every 2 months. Most recently, DomiNations was updated on October 22, 2026 and Pirates Battles! on October 2, 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.*