# Hero Lab — user reviews > 105 indexed App Store user reviews of Hero Lab by Lone Wolf Development, rated 3.20/5 from 68 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hero-lab/id628821549/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hero-lab/id628821549.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 25 · 4★ 7 · 3★ 10 · 2★ 7 · 1★ 19 ## What do users think of Hero Lab? Overall sentiment: negative **Pros** - 👍 Comprehensive character creation tool - 📊 Excellent for Pathfinder and D&D 5e players - ⚡ Convenient portable gaming solution - 🎯 Detailed spell and ability references - 🧮 Automatic bonus/penalty calculations - 📱 Seamless desktop-to-iPad integration - 🎮 Great for both players and GMs - 📚 Extensive game system support **Cons** - 💰 High cost with required licenses and add-ons - 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues - 📵 Text cut off on screen edges - 🔄 No landscape mode support - ⚠️ Limited support for multiple game systems - 🚫 Abandoned/minimal support since 2020 - 🍎 Apple policy restrictions preventing updates - 📱 Poor compatibility with newer iPads - 🔐 License server connection issues - 💾 Data loss after updates - 🎨 Clunky and unintuitive UI - 🔌 Removed Dropbox integration **Commonly reported bugs** - App crashes on startup - Crashes when adding spells or gear - Crashes when taking damage to HP - Text rendering issues with cut-off content - Data pop-ups don't fit on screen - Import/export functionality broken - Portfolio corruption after updates - License verification failures - Tabs disappearing from interface - Black screen on launch - Memory leak causing crashes on lower-end devices - Script errors on older iPad models - Spell tab vanishing after updates - Character deletion issues - Portrait image deletion impossible **Most requested features** - Landscape mode support - Custom content support from desktop version - Dark theme option - Dice roller for all rolls - GM tools and encounter builder - Support for more game systems (Shadowrun, Mutants & Masterminds, 3.5 edition) - Portfolio sharing and cloud sync (Dropbox, iCloud) - Split-screen functionality - PDF export and printing options - In-app license purchasing - Better tutorial and documentation - Landscape keyboard support - Initiative and HP tracking for GMs - Character sheet customization ## Newest reviews (18 of 105) ### 4/5 — Best Character App I’ve used *2024-04-06, version 8.8.8* Without question, the best app I’ve used for character creation… after paying for all the additional content. 2 issues keeping me from giving this app 5 stars. 1. The app should support custom content that is available on the computer version. 2. Since changing iPads recently, the data pop-ups no longer fit on the screen, making them impossible to read. VERY annoying. ### 3/5 — Good app, frequent crashes. *2023-04-17* I love the app, but it crashes every time I attempt to take damage to my HP. Can’t seem to figure out why. ### 2/5 — Text cut off *2023-01-27* I was excited to have hero lab on my ipad, but was dismayed to find that the text is cut off on the right side of all text windows. You lose entire sentences and there is no way to scroll sideways. There is no in-app setting to adjust text size that I can find, and the ipad setting to reduce text size had no effect on this app. This makes it impossible to read information in the app. I will be uninstalling. ### 3/5 — Landscape Mode *2021-02-01* Good working application to simplify the character options during game play. That said, this needs to have an upgrade to allow for landscape mode. ### 4/5 — Great stuff *2019-12-09* The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is that I’d like to see a landscape mode available for the iPad app. It would make things like journal entry much easier since it would give you the ability to utilize a Bluetooth keyboard. Then I could quickly switch back and fourth between hero lab and say a browser or reference app and not have to keep rotating the tablet over and over again. Otherwise, love the app guys. Keep up the good work! ### 3/5 — Freezes when adding Gear or Magic Items *2019-10-13* Pathfinder building character and freezes 3 times now. Won’t clear. Have to delete and reload. No mods. Otherwise a good resource. Better to build on pc version then transfer over ### 4/5 — Almost Perfect *2019-10-05* I would hands down give this app a 5 star rating if it weren’t for one tiny feature its missing. The ability to use the app in Landscape mode. Everything the developer has done has worked flawlessly and has made our gaming sessions a breeze having all the relevant item and spell information built into the character sheet along with being able to easily calculate buffs and debuffs. Please release an update with landscape support, or you could go the extra mile and allow split screen support so we can take hand written notes or draw maps without having to switch between app. Thanks for all you hard work. ### 1/5 — NOT worth it! *2019-07-26* The reason its not worth it is because first you have to get it on your computer for like $30. Thats expensive when I have found free apps that have just as in depth builders for these games that this gives. This company should feel ashamed for their scam. ### 4/5 — A bit buggy *2019-06-09* I’ve been having trouble recently with tabs disappearing and errors displaying. That said, it’s still usable and a big asset to my Pathfinder sessions where I run 2 17-level characters. ### 4/5 — Where is Mutants & Masterminds? *2019-05-09, version 8.8.8* An excellent app that mirrors the functions of the PC, but is missing support for other game licenses. I still have to revert back to my PC when I need to work on Mutants & Masterminds 3e characters. Will support for M&M 3E (or other game licenses) be added anytime soon? ### 2/5 — put a *2019-04-28, version 8.8.8* tutorial pls ### 2/5 — Missing spell tab *2019-04-27* So after the last update the spells tab has vanished. Not sure if this was intended or a bug since I can get to it through the play tab, but it’s kind of annoying to be honest. ### 1/5 — Updated Version Doesn't Work *2019-01-24, version 8.8.1* This is just great. So now, after this latest upgrade, it's started freezing up and crashing on me. Cmon, can't this be fixed? ### 4/5 — Please Add Landscape Mode! *2018-12-26, version 8.7.3* ^ please add landscape mode! ### 1/5 — Used to work fine *2018-11-11, version 8.7.3* I created a barbarian and was missing a +1 to a weapon. Upgraded the app to the latest and lost the ability to use the app for pathfinder. ### 4/5 — Recent update fixed several issues *2018-11-02, version 8.7.3* I previously gave a very low rating and commented on recent updates breaking key portions of the app (being unable to delete items, community content breaking, etc.). While I still don’t appreciate that those kinds of deficiencies can make it past the QA stage and into production, the devs appear to have rolled out an update that addresses and resolves my issues in a very short timeframe, which should be commended. I’m updating my review and rating to reflect: in it’s current state, this is a very good app for D&D 5e character management. ### 2/5 — Great app but... *2018-07-25, version 8.6.2* Most recent update makes the app crash. ### 3/5 — Fix newest version *2018-07-25, version 8.6.2* Latest version freezes every time i add a spell or other adjustment. Please fix. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Very buggy *2025-07-23, version 8.8.8* No more support. They told me it has to do with apple. Now unusable ### 1/5 — iPad no longer supported *2022-12-10, version 8.8.8* The company is no longer supporting the app and appears to want everyone to use their online service. ### 1/5 — Very disappointed *2022-09-28, version 8.8.8* Having used this app for years I am very disappointed to report that it does not work on my new iPad. Having reported the issue the developer replied that it was down to Apple policy preventing them from updating because there is nothing in the app for them to take a share of! ### 1/5 — Love Lone Wolf hate Apple. *2022-06-15, version 8.8.8* This app use to work amazing. Apple is just greedy and makes this app unusable on newer iPads. ### 1/5 — iPad version terrible *2022-01-11, version 8.8.8* I have the newest iPad Mini and not one section can you read the entire section. It cuts off a good quarter to third of all the pop ups. ### 1/5 — Abandoned *2021-12-09* They haven’t updated this app since April of 2020. There are numerous bugs that need to be addressed and each new iOS update just reveals more. The company has focused all of there resources on their new subscription based online web version. They are allowing this software to languish and I’m betting eventually die. Sadly I have lots invested in the data. ### 1/5 — Silly me, I shouldn't have assumed this app was actually supported *2021-02-19* This app is worthless. I've been a long-time user of the desktop application, using it extensively for Shadowrun. Well oops! I guess the ipad version is only for Pathfinder and 5th Edition. And it only runs in portrait mode. That $10 additional key may be the last thing I buy from this company. If you're not going to support an app, pull it. ### 1/5 — Lack of full support *2020-02-26, version 8.8.8* Why no support for viewing any of our characters in any system we own? ### 1/5 — Lacks landscape mode *2019-12-01, version 8.8.8* I understand that the developers are now probably more focused on the herolab online, but then they should not be offering a fully priced app for iPad that lacks basic features, such as landscape mode. ### 1/5 — The app is now useless *2019-10-28* Let me start by saying I’ve been a customer / supporter of this app since it first came out. I have a developer background and have had extreme patience with typical bugs. They have always been reasonably responsive to issues in my opinion. That has now changed. Lone wolf seems to have pretty much dropped supporting this app since the new iPadOS release. They blame Apple for changing some rules... That was nearly 6 weeks ago. The app can no longer import portfolios from any outside source nor can any outside source load portfolios into the app...for me this spells the end of its usability until it’s resolved. Stay away until they fix this issue! ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Love Lone Wolf hate Apple. *2025-06-22* This app use to work amazing. Apple is just greedy and makes this app unusable on newer iPads. **Edit if you highlight test and translate you can read the text*** ### 5/5 — Best Character Creation Software Ever *2020-01-26* I have tried Character creation software for several gaming systems, but Hero Lab is by far the best! I have been using it for approximately six year now for the following systems; Pathfinder, Shadowrun, Starfinder, Cthulhu and Pathfinder 2. ### 5/5 — Finally all of it in a small space *2018-05-17* Having Hero Lab on my iPad is great for when I’m a player. Keep all my stuff in one neat organized little spot so I don’t look like a dm without a screen. Although it confuses me that I cannot have both the 5th edition and Pathfinder at the same time. Is that something that isn’t supported yet? It really bums me out cause I frequently switch from one to the other and really enjoy both games. ### 5/5 — It’s the best. *2018-02-23* And it does have a dice roller built in... For weapons if not spells, some other reviewers seem not to have noticed that. ### 5/5 — Very convenient app in lieu of character sheet! *2017-06-05, version 7.6.6* You can use this to make character creation easier and have an interactive character sheet! ### 5/5 — Absolutely Worth the Investment *2016-04-15, version 7.6.0* I can solemnly swear that without the use of Hero Labs, I would have struggled and eventually lost interest in Pathfinder. Being relatively NEW to tabletop gaming, it was key in allowing me to become a better party member and actually create amazing characters without having to purchase 300 books. So, for those new to creating characters, it simply is the best tool outside the Core Book. I should also mention that in my party, I am playing with seasoned players (playing since D&D 2) and they were the ones who recommended me to use this program! If you can afford the investment, whether you are a veteran player or not, you will find value in this brilliant piece of programming. ### 5/5 — Worth it! *2016-02-19, version 7.5.1* People are saying "wahh, money!" This is a great resource for Pathfinder and other RPG players. Yeah, it has a bit of a price tag, but it's an investment to make sure your characters are being played correctly and to the best of their abilities. If you're so concerned about the price, do what my Pathfinder group did and go in on it with some friends. Split the costs and just get extra licenses for everyone. The others have their Labs on their laptops and I have mine on my iPad along with the rest of my Pathfinder resources. You just have to weigh your options. ### 5/5 — Please add landscape support *2016-02-12, version 7.5.1* I'd like to use landscape mode... ### 5/5 — Love Hero Lab *2016-02-05, version 7.5.0* I was having similar crash sues as other reviewers with the Jan 29th update. It resolved itself when I updated my IPad with the newest apple software update. I love using hero lab at the table. It's quick and convenient, makes creating characters a breeze, and it's great when one of the other players is going to miss a session at the last minute, they can email over their portfolio or email somebody else their character's stat block so the group can run them in their absence. In my pinion it is highly useful and highly recommended. ### 5/5 — Great tool *2015-07-08, version 7.0.2* I got this as I'm quite new to Pathfinder, and have to say it made character creation a breeze after the books were quite daunting reads. Playing with it as the Character Sheet also made it a lot easier keeping track of everything. Would recommend. Lone Wolf should make it for the other games their pc software supports. --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-10.*