# Punch Kidd vs Pac.io

The clearest difference is price: Pac.io at Free against Punch Kidd's $1.99. Pac.io also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 16 months). Punch Kidd's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.5 vs 4.2). On ratings volume, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Pac.io is free to download; Punch Kidd costs $1.99 up front. Punch Kidd sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and Pac.io sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Punch Kidd holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 131 and 297 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 66% of Punch Kidd's written reviews are positive against 54% of Pac.io's.

Punch Kidd ships an update every 16 months, Pac.io fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Punch Kidd | Pac.io |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.5 (131 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/punch-kidd/id945837394/reviews)** | [4.2 (297 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pacio/id1274026778/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 131 | **297** |
| Positive reviews | **66.1% of reviews** | 53.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 16 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 12 MB | 139 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Tim Webster](https://appshunter.io/developer/945837393) | [Nomadic Bear Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/1188304416) |

## What reviewers say

### Punch Kidd

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/punch-kidd/id945837394)

Experience a retro 8-bit platformer with frantic action, challenging puzzles, and ghostly enemies. Explore 16 epic levels with blocky pixel art and chiptune soundtracks, designed for a nostalgic gaming experience without interruptions or ads.

**Highlights:** Frantic air punches, Ghostly enemies, Miracle puzzles, 16 epic levels, Blocky pixel-art, Chirpy chiptune soundtracks, No ads or popups

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 100 Coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| Five Hundred Coins | $1.99 | one-time |
| Stage 2 Levels | $1.99 | one-time |
| Thousand Coins | $2.99 | one-time |
| 10,000 Coins | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💎 Nostalgic retro game experience
- 👍 Faithful recreation of the original Alex Kidd game
- 🎮 Fun and addictive gameplay
- 🕹️ Responsive controls (for some users)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitches, crashes, and freezing issues
- 🎮 Unresponsive or inaccurate controls
- 💰 Requirement to pay for extra levels/coins
- 🔇 Lack of original soundtrack

**Reported bugs**

- Game freezing or crashing
- Inability to turn around or move backwards
- Inconsistent behavior on different devices

**Requested features**

- Save game progress feature
- Option to adjust sound/music volume
- Inclusion of original Janken (rock-paper-scissors) mini-game
- Controller support


### Pac.io

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pacio/id1274026778)

Engage in an addictive grid-battle by swiping to outsmart opponents and dominate the arena. Utilize a variety of power-ups and unlock unique skins to enhance your gameplay and rise through the ranks. Enjoy endless fun offline or online with intuitive controls.

**Highlights:** Swipe controls for movement, Strategic power-ups, Unlockable skins, Offline and online play, Intuitive gameplay

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Coin Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Medium Coin Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Magnet | $4.99 | one-time |
| Thunder | $4.99 | one-time |
| Sword | $4.99 | one-time |
| Big Coin Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| No Ads | $9.99 | one-time |
| Large Coin Pack | $19.99 | one-time |
| Huge Coin Pack | $49.99 | one-time |
| Massive Coin Pack | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 😍 Highly addictive and engaging gameplay
- 🎮 Fun Pac-Man inspired mechanics
- 👥 Real multiplayer players (not just bots)
- ⚡ Fast-paced and entertaining
- 🏆 Leaderboard and competitive features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📺 Excessive ads throughout gameplay
- ⚠️ Ads interrupt and crash the game
- 😤 Unfair difficulty and instant death
- 🎮 Sliding controls instead of D-pad/joystick
- 🤖 Questionable AI behavior and cheating

**Reported bugs**

- Ads crash game at end of video
- Game freezes after ad completion
- Pink screen ad that cannot be closed
- Instant death upon spawning
- Players getting stuck behind walls

**Requested features**

- Arrow buttons or D-pad controls instead of sliding
- Ad-free premium version for purchase
- Ability to disable ads with WiFi off
- Friend list and private room creation
- Real player names instead of randomized ones


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Punch Kidd free?

Punch Kidd costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Pac.io free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Punch Kidd or Pac.io?

Punch Kidd is rated higher. Punch Kidd averages 4.5 out of 5 from 131 ratings, while Pac.io averages 4.2 from 297 ratings.

### Do Punch Kidd or Pac.io have ads?

Pac.io shows ads; Punch Kidd does not.

### Which is updated more often, Punch Kidd or Pac.io?

Punch Kidd ships an update every 16 months, and Pac.io fortnightly. Most recently, Punch Kidd was updated on September 29, 2026 and Pac.io on September 21, 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.*