# Alien Swarm arcade game vs Defender 1

The clearest difference is price: Alien Swarm arcade game at Free against Defender 1's $2.99. Alien Swarm arcade game also leads on update cadence (every 14 months vs every 38 months) and review sentiment (44% vs 31%). Defender 1's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On rating, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Alien Swarm arcade game is free to download; Defender 1 costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Defender 1 holds the better App Store score, 3.5 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 2 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 44% of Alien Swarm arcade game's written reviews are positive against 31% of Defender 1's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Alien Swarm arcade game ships an update every 14 months, Defender 1 every 38 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Alien Swarm arcade game | Defender 1 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | [3.3 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alien-swarm-arcade-game/id949173585/reviews) | **[3.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/defender-1/id1038282445/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **6** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **44.4% of reviews** | 31.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 14 months** | Every 38 months |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Paid |
| Size | 59 MB | 45 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Galatic Droids](https://appshunter.io/developer/806182439) | [APD Consulting, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/506064473) |

## What reviewers say

### Alien Swarm arcade game

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alien-swarm-arcade-game/id949173585)

Engage in a retro arcade space shooter where you defend the galaxy from swarming aliens. Blast your way through dazzling attack patterns in this free, action-packed game.

**Highlights:** Retro arcade gameplay, Space shooter genre, Defend the galaxy, Dazzling attack patterns, Free to download

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Defender 1

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/defender-1/id1038282445)

Relive a classic arcade experience by defending astronauts from alien abduction and destroying enemy ships. Be careful not to harm the astronauts, as their safety is crucial to preventing planetary destruction and mutant alien transformations.

**Highlights:** Defend astronauts from aliens, Obliterate enemy spaceships, Avoid friendly fire, Prevent planetary explosion, Mutant alien transformations

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Faithful recreation of original game
- 🤩 Nostalgic experience
- 💰 Good value for price
- ✨ Good graphics
- 🕹️ Joystick option available

**What reviewers complain about**

- 👎 Awful, unresponsive controls
- 🐌 Very slow gameplay
- 💥 Frequent crashes
- 🔇 No sound or intermittent sound
- 🕹️ Poorly spaced controls

**Reported bugs**

- No sound on iPad
- No sound on iPhone
- Intermittent sound
- App crashes often
- Enemies don't move

**Requested features**

- Update to fix sound issues
- Update to fix crashing
- Enable game controller support
- Improve control responsiveness
- Adjust control spacing


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Alien Swarm arcade game free?

Alien Swarm arcade game is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Defender 1 free?

Defender 1 costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Alien Swarm arcade game or Defender 1?

Defender 1 is rated higher. Alien Swarm arcade game averages 3.3 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Defender 1 averages 3.5 from 2 ratings.

### Do Alien Swarm arcade game or Defender 1 have ads?

Alien Swarm arcade game shows ads; Defender 1 does not.

### Which is updated more often, Alien Swarm arcade game or Defender 1?

Alien Swarm arcade game ships an update every 14 months, and Defender 1 every 38 months. Most recently, Alien Swarm arcade game was updated on November 6, 2026 and Defender 1 on November 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.*