# Idle Defense Octopus Evolution vs Grim Defender

The clearest difference is ads: Idle Defense Octopus Evolution at none against Grim Defender's shown. Idle Defense Octopus Evolution also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). Grim Defender's advantage is review sentiment (87% vs 74%). On price, rating, ratings volume and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Idle Defense Octopus Evolution sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Grim Defender sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Grim Defender holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.9K and 1.1K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 74% of Idle Defense Octopus Evolution's written reviews are positive against 87% of Grim Defender's.

Idle Defense Octopus Evolution ships an update every 3 weeks, Grim Defender every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Idle Defense Octopus Evolution | Grim Defender |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (1.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-defense-octopus-evolution/id985708741/reviews) | **[4.7 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/grim-defender-castle-defense/id1378304905/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.9K** | 1.1K |
| Positive reviews | 73.6% of reviews | **87.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 55 MB | 190 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Tran Anh Khoa](https://appshunter.io/developer/703562127) | [BYTEGHOUL GAMES](https://appshunter.io/developer/1378304904) |

## What reviewers say

### Idle Defense Octopus Evolution

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-defense-octopus-evolution/id985708741)

Evolve a mutant octopus by collecting DNA and gems to unlock new arms and super weapons. Defend against enemies with easy-to-learn touch controls and enjoy cartoon graphics with rock music. Share your progress and discover new features in this unique tower defense experience.

**Highlights:** Evolve mutant octopus with new arms and weapons, Easy touch-and-hold gameplay, Cartoon graphics and rock music, Unlock shark, dragon, and other arms, Utilize frozen, armor, and nuclear weapons, Share game records on social media

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| DNA Pack 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Gem Pack 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| DNA Pack 2 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |
| DNA Pack 3 | $2.99 | one-time |
| DNA Pack 4 | $3.99 | one-time |
| DNA Pack 5 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Gem Pack 5 | $4.99 | one-time |
| DNA Pack 10 | $9.99 | one-time |
| DNA Pack 20 | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun game
- 🚀 Addictive gameplay
- 💡 Unique concept
- 😊 Great for kids

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes
- 🔒 Copyright issues
- 🔋 High ad frequency
- 🤯 Too difficult

**Reported bugs**

- DNA points disappearing
- Restart cost too high
- Levels not loading properly
- Ads not working as intended

**Requested features**

- Add more upgrades and customization options
- Improve level difficulty progression
- Reduce in-app purchase requirements
- Fix grammar and spelling errors


### Grim Defender

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/grim-defender-castle-defense/id1378304905)

Engage in fast-paced castle defense with strategic upgrades and skill. Defend your base against endless monster waves, gather resources, and combine a vast array of weapons, spells, and traps to become stronger. Compete with others and play offline.

**Highlights:** Upgrade and defend your castle, Defend against endless monster waves, Gather resources and improve defenses, Equip and combine crossbows, spells, and traps, Offline play capability, Daily quests and global leaderboards

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Darkgold Pack XS | $1.89 | one-time |
| 3 Darkgold | $2.99 | one-time |
| 5 Darkgold | $4.99 | one-time |
| Darkgold Pack S | $5.99 | one-time |
| 10 Darkgold | $8.99 | one-time |
| Darkgold Pack M | $10.99 | one-time |
| 20 Darkgold | $16.99 | one-time |
| Darkgold Pack L | $19.99 | one-time |
| Darkgold Pack XL | $34.99 | one-time |
| Darkgold Pack XXL | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and fun gameplay
- 🕹️ Satisfying progression and upgrades
- 💰 Generous free-to-play model
- 🕰️ Great time-waster game
- 🎨 Customizable defense strategies

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Dark gold is too rare to obtain
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔒 Account progress loss issues
- 📺 Intrusive ads in some cases
- 🤖 Lack of multiplayer/social features

**Reported bugs**

- Progress/purchase loss after updates
- Crashes and freezes during gameplay
- Inability to close ads after watching

**Requested features**

- More diverse enemy types
- Additional tower/weapon options
- Prestige system or resets
- Improved dark gold acquisition
- Multiplayer/co-op gameplay


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Idle Defense Octopus Evolution free?

Idle Defense Octopus Evolution is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Grim Defender free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Idle Defense Octopus Evolution or Grim Defender?

Grim Defender is rated higher. Idle Defense Octopus Evolution averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.9K ratings, while Grim Defender averages 4.7 from 1.1K ratings.

### Do Idle Defense Octopus Evolution or Grim Defender have ads?

Grim Defender shows ads; Idle Defense Octopus Evolution does not.

### Which is updated more often, Idle Defense Octopus Evolution or Grim Defender?

Idle Defense Octopus Evolution ships an update every 3 weeks, and Grim Defender every 3 months. Most recently, Idle Defense Octopus Evolution was updated on November 1, 2026 and Grim Defender on November 6, 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.*