# Animation Throwdown vs DBS

The clearest difference is rating: Animation Throwdown at 4.7 against DBS's 3.7. Animation Throwdown also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (43K vs 729). DBS's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ads (none vs shown). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Animation Throwdown sells 9 one-off in-app purchases. DBS asks for nothing beyond the download.

Animation Throwdown holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Animation Throwdown has 43K ratings behind it against 729, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 72% of Animation Throwdown's written reviews are positive against 55% of DBS's.

Animation Throwdown ships an update weekly, DBS every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Animation Throwdown | DBS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (43K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/animation-throwdown-card-game/id1080816579/reviews)** | [3.7 (729 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dbs-cardgame/id1274883995/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **43K** | 729 |
| Positive reviews | **72.2% of reviews** | 55.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#91** | — |
| Size | 369 MB | 237 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kongregate](https://appshunter.io/developer/491569846) | [BANDAI Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/359834423) |

## What reviewers say

### Animation Throwdown

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/animation-throwdown-card-game/id1080816579)

**Currently charting:** #91 Top Grossing · Adventure, #147 Top Grossing · Card (US App Store)

Collect cards featuring characters from popular animated shows and battle other players in strategic duels. Build and upgrade your deck, join a guild, and compete in challenges to rise to the top.

**Highlights:** Collect cards from favorite animated shows, Strategic PVP card battles, Build and upgrade your card deck, Join guilds and chat with friends, Conquer story levels and arenas, Weekly challenges and guild wars

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Limited Time Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Small Gem Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Time Limited Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Get it now! Time Limited Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Medium Gem Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Special Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| VIP Card | $9.99 | one-time |
| Large Gem Pack | $19.99 | one-time |
| Exclusive! Limited Time Pack | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and addictive gameplay
- 👍 Enjoyable mix of cartoon characters
- 🎨 Visually appealing graphics
- 💎 Generous free-to-play rewards

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🕰️ Slow progression without spending money
- 🤖 Unfair matchmaking against higher-level players
- 🔍 Lack of transparency on drop rates
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 💰 Overly aggressive monetization

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes when opening the shop
- Tutorial gets stuck on card upgrade screen
- Arena rewards not properly credited

**Requested features**

- Add real-time PvP mode
- Improve guild communication features
- Implement card recycling system
- Reduce research and upgrade times


### DBS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dbs-cardgame/id1274883995)

Learn the rules of a popular physical card game featuring characters from various Dragon Ball series. This digital version serves as a tutorial to help you understand gameplay mechanics.

**Highlights:** Learn game rules, Digital tutorial version, Dragon Ball characters, Understand gameplay

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great tutorial
- 👍 Helpful for learning the game
- 💡 Potential for full game version

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Tutorial issues (can't select cards, crashes)
- 🔒 Lacks full game features (online play, deck building, etc.)
- 🔒 Limited content (only 3 levels)

**Reported bugs**

- Tutorial not working properly
- Crashes and freezes during gameplay
- Unbalanced AI difficulty

**Requested features**

- Make it a full game with online play and customizable decks
- Add more starter decks and content
- Translate to more languages
- Implement card scanning/collection management


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Animation Throwdown free?

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

### Is DBS free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Animation Throwdown or DBS?

Animation Throwdown is rated higher. Animation Throwdown averages 4.7 out of 5 from 43K ratings, while DBS averages 3.7 from 729 ratings.

### Do Animation Throwdown or DBS have ads?

Animation Throwdown shows ads; DBS does not.

### Which is updated more often, Animation Throwdown or DBS?

Animation Throwdown ships an update weekly, and DBS every 4 months. Most recently, Animation Throwdown was updated on November 6, 2026 and DBS on November 3, 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.*