# 2043 vs Neon Primitive

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: 2043 at none against Neon Primitive's 2. 2043 also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). Neon Primitive's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (5 vs 1). On price, rating, review sentiment and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neon Primitive sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. 2043 asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for 2043 against 5.0 for Neon Primitive. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Neon Primitive has 5 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

2043 ships an update every 5 months, Neon Primitive weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | 2043 | Neon Primitive |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/2043/id952139400/reviews) | [5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/neon-primitive/id6775106344/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **5** |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 19 MB | 72 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [jj](https://appshunter.io/developer/426360938) | [Ryan Geidl](https://appshunter.io/developer/1871767577) |

## What reviewers say

### 2043

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/2043/id952139400)

Engage in a challenging space shooter experience with unique alien bosses in each version. Discover and utilize a variety of powerful weapons to overcome your extraterrestrial foes and progress through the game.

**Highlights:** Space shooter gameplay, Unique alien bosses, Variety of weapons, Challenging levels, Multiple versions

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Neon Primitive

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/neon-primitive/id6775106344)

Engage in a rapid arcade survival shooter where you dodge shape swarms and enhance your arsenal with each run. Unlock new pilots and permanent upgrades between sessions to achieve better survival times.

**Highlights:** Dodge glowing shape swarms, Collect shards and weapon upgrades, Fight geometric bosses, Permanent Core Research upgrades, Unlock new pilots and banners, Global leaderboards

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 25 Neon Cores | $0.99 | one-time |
| Full Game Unlock | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 2043 free?

2043 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Neon Primitive free?

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

### Which has better reviews, 2043 or Neon Primitive?

2043 and Neon Primitive are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 5 ratings respectively.

### Do 2043 or Neon Primitive have ads?

Neon Primitive shows ads; 2043 does not.

### Which is updated more often, 2043 or Neon Primitive?

2043 ships an update every 5 months, and Neon Primitive weekly. Most recently, 2043 was updated on November 1, 2026 and Neon Primitive on October 31, 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.*