# Pluto Patrol vs Defender 1

The clearest difference is price: Pluto Patrol at Free against Defender 1's $2.99. Pluto Patrol also leads on review sentiment (63% vs 31%) and update cadence (every 6 months vs every 38 months). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 3.6 for Pluto Patrol against 3.5 for Defender 1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pluto Patrol has 14 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 63% of Pluto Patrol's written reviews are positive against 31% of Defender 1's.

Pluto Patrol ships an update every 6 months, Defender 1 every 38 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pluto Patrol | Defender 1 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | **[3.6 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pluto-patrol/id963638284/reviews)** | [3.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/defender-1/id1038282445/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **14** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **63.2% of reviews** | 31.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 months** | Every 38 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 218 MB | 45 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.1** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Erik Hinterbichler](https://appshunter.io/developer/300748957) | [APD Consulting, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/506064473) |

## What reviewers say

### Pluto Patrol

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pluto-patrol/id963638284)

Pilot a space buggy across Pluto's challenging terrain, dodging obstacles and battling enemies. This arcade-style game offers updated graphics and controls for a modern retro experience.

**Highlights:** Navigate 75 checkpoints across 3 levels, Avoid holes, rocks, land mines, and meteors, Battle tanks, hovercars, boulders, and UFOs, Updated graphics and controls, Classic arcade gameplay

**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 Pluto Patrol free?

Pluto Patrol 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, Pluto Patrol or Defender 1?

Pluto Patrol is rated higher. Pluto Patrol averages 3.6 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while Defender 1 averages 3.5 from 2 ratings.

### Do Pluto Patrol or Defender 1 have ads?

Neither Pluto Patrol nor Defender 1 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pluto Patrol or Defender 1?

Pluto Patrol ships an update every 6 months, and Defender 1 every 38 months. Most recently, Pluto Patrol was updated on October 24, 2026 and Defender 1 on October 29, 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.*