# Tabletopia vs Ark Nova

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Ark Nova at 73% against Tabletopia's 24%. Ark Nova also leads on rating (4.8 vs 2.6) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). Tabletopia's advantage is price (Free vs $10.99). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Tabletopia is free to download; Ark Nova costs $10.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Ark Nova holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ark Nova has 1.2K ratings behind it against 104, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 24% of Tabletopia's written reviews are positive against 73% of Ark Nova's.

Tabletopia ships an update every 3 months, Ark Nova fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Tabletopia | Ark Nova |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $10.99 |
| Rating | [2.6 (104 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tabletopia/id1274379679/reviews) | **[4.8 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ark-nova/id6449233549/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 104 | **1.2K** |
| Positive reviews | 24.5% of reviews | **72.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#23** |
| Size | 123 MB | 682 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [TableTopia, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1257703514) | [Dire Wolf Digital](https://appshunter.io/developer/815343758) |

## What reviewers say

### Tabletopia

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tabletopia/id1274379679)

Play board games digitally with friends or solo. This platform offers a virtual table experience where players manually enforce rules, just like in real life. Explore a growing library of popular board games or create and share your own.

**Highlights:** Play board games digitally, Solo, hotseat, and online multiplayer, Create and share your own board games, Vast library of popular board games, Virtual table experience

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Good app
- 🚀 Smooth gameplay
- 💡 Variety of games
- 🎮 Great simulator

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🔌 Connectivity issues
- 🤯 Unintuitive controls
- 💸 Expensive subscription

**Reported bugs**

- Infinite update loop
- Game progress loss
- Rules crash the app
- Login and sync problems

**Requested features**

- Offline save state
- Game filters and search
- Multilingual support
- Cross-platform play


### Ark Nova

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ark-nova/id6449233549)

**Currently charting:** #23 Top Paid · Board, #75 Top Paid · Strategy (US App Store)

Design and manage a modern zoo to support global conservation efforts. Build enclosures, house animals, and utilize unique cards for special abilities. Compete to create the most successful zoological establishment.

**Highlights:** Plan and design a modern zoo, Build enclosures and accommodate animals, Support global conservation projects, Utilize 255 unique cards (animals, specialists, projects), Upgrade action cards for gameplay, Increase zoo appeal and scientific reputation

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great implementation overall
- 👍 Lots of fun
- 👍 Good animations
- 👍 Choice of modes
- 👍 Clean, modern and enjoyable design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Tile placement/rotation issues on iPad
- 🐛 Building placement UI issues
- 👎 Difficult to read board state on mobile
- 👎 Lack of simultaneous view for key game info
- 👎 Cumbersome to create games with friends

**Reported bugs**

- iPad Flash exit issue
- Rewards screen being blocked by other UI elements

**Requested features**

- Option to enable larger UI buttons for modal panels
- Full screen mode
- Option to reverse zoom direction
- Improved card readability/zoom


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Tabletopia free?

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

### Is Ark Nova free?

Ark Nova costs $10.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Tabletopia or Ark Nova?

Ark Nova is rated higher. Tabletopia averages 2.6 out of 5 from 104 ratings, while Ark Nova averages 4.8 from 1.2K ratings.

### Do Tabletopia or Ark Nova have ads?

Neither Tabletopia nor Ark Nova shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Tabletopia or Ark Nova?

Tabletopia ships an update every 3 months, and Ark Nova fortnightly. Most recently, Tabletopia was updated on September 30, 2026 and Ark Nova on October 12, 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.*