# War Dragons vs Explodey

The clearest difference is rating: War Dragons at 4.4 against Explodey's 3.9. War Dragons also leads on ratings volume (28K vs 9) and chart position (#121 vs unranked). Explodey's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 months). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. War Dragons sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Explodey sells 12 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

War Dragons holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: War Dragons has 28K ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 63% of War Dragons's written reviews are positive against 67% of Explodey's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

War Dragons ships an update every 2 months, Explodey every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and September 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | War Dragons | Explodey |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (28K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/war-dragons/id958763157/reviews)** | [3.9 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/explodey-sci-fi-side-scroller/id1227373183/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **28K** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | 62.9% of reviews | **66.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#121** | — |
| Size | 206 MB | 1.1 GB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **8.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Pocket Gems, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/335932431) | [YitYat Studios](https://appshunter.io/developer/294709521) |

## What reviewers say

### War Dragons

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/war-dragons/id958763157)

**Currently charting:** #121 Top Grossing · Action, #187 Top Grossing · Strategy (US App Store)

Command a powerful army of dragons to build and defend your island kingdom. Breed legendary dragons, strategize with friends in guilds, and fortify your base against attackers. Become the ultimate dragon rider and strategist to achieve greatness.

**Highlights:** Breed over 100 unique dragons, Join or start guilds with friends, Real-time synchronous multiplayer, Build and fortify island defenses, Strategize attack and defense tactics, Unlock legendary dragons like Khrysos

**Features:** Apple Watch app, iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 30 Days of First Time Buyer Elite Account | $1.99 | one-time |
| Value Pack 1A | $4.99 | one-time |
| Value Pack 1B | $4.99 | one-time |
| Elite Account - 30 Days | $4.99 | one-time |
| Atlas War Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Value Pack 2A | $19.99 | one-time |
| Value Pack 2B | $19.99 | one-time |
| Atlas Event Elite | $19.99 | one-time |
| Value Pack 4A | $99.99 | one-time |
| Value Pack 4B | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth gameplay
- 🤝 Helpful community
- 🐉 Interesting dragon designs
- 📊 Logical progression system

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Pay-to-win mechanics
- 🐛 Frequent bugs and glitches
- 🕰️ Slow progression for free players
- 🤖 Poor customer support
- 🕰️ Extremely long upgrade times

**Reported bugs**

- Inconsistent attack results across devices
- Disappearing in-game items and resources
- Crashes and freezes during events
- Unreliable server stability

**Requested features**

- Ability to trade or exchange runes/glyphs
- Option to repeat past seasonal events
- More accessible mythic dragon acquisition
- Improved base defense balance


### Explodey

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/explodey-sci-fi-side-scroller/id1227373183)

Pilot a fighter through exotic planets, battling enemies and solving puzzles to save the galaxy. Customize your ship with a variety of weapons and face challenging bosses. Engage in multiplayer battles with friends and unlock cosmetic hats.

**Highlights:** AAA side-scroller gameplay, Battle across 5 exotic planets, Customize fighter with diverse weaponry, Conquer ground and air units, Solve challenging puzzles, LAN multiplayer battles, Unlock cosmetic hats

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| VR Goggles | $0.99 | one-time |
| Mohawk | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pirate Hat | $0.99 | one-time |
| Plain Hat | $0.99 | one-time |
| Top Hat | $0.99 | one-time |
| Wizarding Hat | $0.99 | one-time |
| Hair Bow | $0.99 | one-time |
| Hard Hat | $0.99 | one-time |
| Elf Hat | $0.99 | one-time |
| Viking Hat | $0.99 | one-time |
| Cheese | $0.99 | one-time |
| Unlock All Worlds | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is War Dragons free?

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

### Is Explodey free?

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

### Which has better reviews, War Dragons or Explodey?

War Dragons is rated higher. War Dragons averages 4.4 out of 5 from 28K ratings, while Explodey averages 3.9 from 9 ratings.

### Do War Dragons or Explodey have ads?

War Dragons shows ads; Explodey does not.

### Which is updated more often, War Dragons or Explodey?

War Dragons ships an update every 2 months, and Explodey every 3 days. Most recently, War Dragons was updated on October 13, 2026 and Explodey on September 16, 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.*