# Castle Solitaire vs Solitaire Nova

Castle Solitaire and Solitaire Nova both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 68% of Castle Solitaire's written reviews are positive against 26% of Solitaire Nova's. Castle Solitaire also leads on ratings volume (203K vs 7.7K) and chart position (#189 vs unranked). Solitaire Nova's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Castle Solitaire sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Solitaire Nova sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Castle Solitaire against 4.6 for Solitaire Nova. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Castle Solitaire has 203K ratings behind it against 7.7K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 68% of Castle Solitaire's written reviews are positive against 26% of Solitaire Nova's.

Castle Solitaire ships an update monthly, Solitaire Nova fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 28, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Castle Solitaire | Solitaire Nova |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (203K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/castle-solitaire-card-game/id1382466301/reviews)** | [4.6 (7.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solitaire-nova/id6745080685/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **203K** | 7.7K |
| Positive reviews | **67.7% of reviews** | 26.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#189** | — |
| Size | 363 MB | 319 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [MobilityWare](https://appshunter.io/developer/284117362) | [Nova Studio](https://appshunter.io/developer/1810635543) |

## What reviewers say

### Castle Solitaire

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/castle-solitaire-card-game/id1382466301)

**Currently charting:** #189 Top Free · Card (US App Store)

A free card game where players build four castles by arranging cards of the same suit in descending order. Customize your experience with different backgrounds and earn new titles as you progress through levels. Enjoy exciting winning animations and a unique twist on classic solitaire gameplay.

**Highlights:** Build four castles from Ace to King, Arrange cards in descending order, Tap stockpile for more cards, Customizable backgrounds and card decks, Progress through levels and earn titles, Exciting winning animations

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Status 1 Month | $1.99 | per month |
| Premium Status 6 Months | $2.99 | per 6 months |
| Premium Status 3 Months | $4.99 | per 3 months |
| Premium Status 12 Months | $9.99 | per year |
| Premium Pass | $0.79 | one-time |
| Premium Pass | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🏰 Challenging but enjoyable gameplay
- 🧠 Mentally stimulating
- 👍 Simple and intuitive design
- 🎨 Visually appealing animations and graphics
- 🕰️ Quick games perfect for short play sessions

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Ads too frequent and intrusive
- 🤯 Ads sometimes freeze the game
- 🔒 No option to pay for ad-free version
- 🚧 Occasional glitches and crashes

**Reported bugs**

- Ads that cannot be closed
- Game freezing or restarting unexpectedly

**Requested features**

- More variety in puzzle designs and castle themes
- Ability to replay favorite puzzle animations
- Option to disable auto-complete feature
- Progress tracking and achievements


### Solitaire Nova

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solitaire-nova/id6745080685)

Experience a fresh take on the classic card game with strategic twists and unique game modes. Complete daily quests to earn rewards and unlock exclusive trophies. Enjoy an elegant visual design for an immersive and distraction-free experience.

**Highlights:** Strategic gameplay with creative twists, Unique game modes and unconventional rules, Daily quests and in-game currency rewards, Unlock exclusive and limited-edition trophies, Elegant visual design with smooth animations, Build ascending Foundation piles, Arrange descending sequences on the tableau

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ads Free Bundle | $12.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Exciting and original version of solitaire
- 👍 Fun game

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Game not loading, lags terribly
- 🔋 Phone gets hot and slows down
- 🔋 Battery draining too fast
- 🔍 Same as every other solitaire game

**Reported bugs**

- Keyboard popping up unexpectedly
- Typos and issues in settings

**Requested features**

- Different layouts
- Reduce the number of ads


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Castle Solitaire free?

Castle Solitaire is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Solitaire Nova free?

Solitaire Nova is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Castle Solitaire or Solitaire Nova?

Castle Solitaire is rated higher. Castle Solitaire averages 4.8 out of 5 from 203K ratings, while Solitaire Nova averages 4.6 from 7.7K ratings.

### Do Castle Solitaire or Solitaire Nova have ads?

Both Castle Solitaire and Solitaire Nova show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Castle Solitaire or Solitaire Nova?

Castle Solitaire ships an update monthly, and Solitaire Nova fortnightly. Most recently, Castle Solitaire was updated on October 28, 2026 and Solitaire Nova on October 28, 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.*