# Shadow House vs Black Magic Spell

The clearest difference is rating: Shadow House at 4.8 against Black Magic Spell's 3.9. Shadow House also leads on update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 8 months) and review sentiment (84% vs 62%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Shadow House holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shadow House has 685 ratings behind it against 44, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 84% of Shadow House's written reviews are positive against 62% of Black Magic Spell's.

Shadow House ships an update every 6 weeks, Black Magic Spell every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shadow House | Black Magic Spell |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (685 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadow-house/id1136368302/reviews)** | [3.9 (44 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/black-magic-spell/id1531909569/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **685** | 44 |
| Positive reviews | **83.8% of reviews** | 61.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 8 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 647 MB | 15 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.1** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Scholastic Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/392025741) | [Masum Islam](https://appshunter.io/developer/1531909571) |

## What reviewers say

### Shadow House

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadow-house/id1136368302)

Embark on interactive ghost stories where your choices shape the narrative. Explore a constantly changing haunted house with chilling visuals and audio. Uncover the dark secrets within this terrifying place.

**Highlights:** Choose your own path, Haunting visuals, Chilling audio, Changing adventures, Uncover secrets, Based on book series

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Engaging stories
- 🎨 Great visuals and sound effects
- 🤖 Interesting backstories and lore
- 🔍 Encourages exploration and discovery

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional glitches and bugs
- 🔍 Some puzzles/challenges are too difficult
- 🔇 Lack of audio/voice acting
- 🤔 Limited choices/interactivity in some stories

**Reported bugs**

- Mirror challenge in Book 3 is blurry and unresponsive
- Sigil 2 in Book 3 crashes the app for some users
- Loading issues and crashes on older devices

**Requested features**

- Add more books/stories
- Improve puzzle/challenge mechanics
- Implement a save/progress system
- Include a Russian language option


### Black Magic Spell

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/black-magic-spell/id1531909569)

Explore a digital grimoire filled with over 200 spells, rituals, and magical practices from diverse traditions. This app offers step-by-step guidance, daily inspiration, and organized content for beginners and experienced practitioners alike. Discover new magical insights and carry your spellbook wherever you go.

**Highlights:** 200+ spells and rituals, Content added daily, Organized by category, Step-by-step guidance, Diverse magical traditions, Daily inspiration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shadow House free?

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

### Is Black Magic Spell free?

Black Magic Spell is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Shadow House or Black Magic Spell?

Shadow House is rated higher. Shadow House averages 4.8 out of 5 from 685 ratings, while Black Magic Spell averages 3.9 from 44 ratings.

### Do Shadow House or Black Magic Spell have ads?

Neither Shadow House nor Black Magic Spell shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shadow House or Black Magic Spell?

Shadow House ships an update every 6 weeks, and Black Magic Spell every 8 months. Most recently, Shadow House was updated on October 3, 2026 and Black Magic Spell on October 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.*