# Hero Realms vs Cartographers

The clearest difference is price: Hero Realms at Free against Cartographers's $3.99. Hero Realms also leads on rating (4.3 vs 3.4) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months). Cartographers's advantage is chart position (#69 vs unranked). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Hero Realms is free to download; Cartographers costs $3.99 up front. Hero Realms sells 13 one-off in-app purchases and Cartographers sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Hero Realms holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 219 and 120 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of Hero Realms's written reviews are positive against 36% of Cartographers's.

Hero Realms ships an update every 2 weeks, Cartographers every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hero Realms | Cartographers |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $3.99 |
| Rating | **[4.3 (219 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hero-realms/id1396367189/reviews)** | [3.4 (120 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cartographers/id1515991485/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **219** | 120 |
| Positive reviews | **60.2% of reviews** | 36.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#69** |
| Size | 435 MB | 47 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [White Wizard Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/893447128) | [BrettspielWelt](https://appshunter.io/developer/1063292497) |

## What reviewers say

### Hero Realms

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hero-realms/id1396367189)

Engage in strategic deckbuilding combat, recruit powerful champions, and level up your heroes. Enjoy PvP, co-op against AI bosses, or a single-player campaign. The free version offers core gameplay with optional expansions.

**Highlights:** Deckbuilding combat, Recruit champions, Hero leveling system, Online PvP, Cooperative play vs AI, Single-player campaign, Multiple character classes

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

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 80 Gems | $0.99 | one-time |
| 200 gems | $2.29 | one-time |
| Four Journeys Campaign | $3.99 | one-time |
| 500 Gems | $4.99 | one-time |
| Hero Realms: Call to Arms | $4.99 | one-time |
| Journeys Expansions | $4.99 | one-time |
| Journeys Promo Expansion | $4.99 | one-time |
| Dungeons Expansion | $7.99 | one-time |
| 1200 Gems | $9.99 | one-time |
| Hero Realms Base Set | $9.99 | one-time |
| 2500 Gems | $19.99 | one-time |
| 6500 Gems | $49.99 | one-time |
| 14000 Gems | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great game mechanics
- 🚀 Smooth and polished app
- 💡 Diverse game modes (PvP, co-op, campaign)
- 👍 Faithful adaptation of the physical card game
- 💡 Character progression and leveling system

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 🔒 Lack of local multiplayer (pass-and-play)
- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases for additional content
- 🌐 Lack of language support (e.g., no French, Spanish)
- 🔍 Unclear tutorial and explanations of game mechanics

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when trying to play online
- Inability to access purchased content
- Freezing and black screen issues
- Incorrect character level progression
- Matchmaking problems and long wait times

**Requested features**

- Add more expansions and additional content
- Implement a friends list and social features
- Improve the campaign mode with more levels and challenges
- Add an option to check the contents of your deck before playing
- Implement a turn timer to prevent players from stalling


### Cartographers

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cartographers/id1515991485)

**Currently charting:** #69 Top Paid · Card, #95 Top Paid · Board (US App Store)

Become a royal cartographer tasked with mapping newly reclaimed lands for the Kingdom of Nalos. Fulfill royal edicts, strategically draw your territory, and outmaneuver rival outposts to gain the most reputation. Experience this tactical flip & write game digitally with multiple modes and global leaderboards.

**Highlights:** Map reclaimed northern lands, Fulfill royal edicts, Outmaneuver rival outposts, Tactical flip & write gameplay, Multiple game modes, Global weekly highscorelists, Collect achievements

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cartographers Heroes | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Faithful adaptation of the board game
- 🚀 Great solo experience
- 💡 Helpful visual cues for gameplay

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and unstable app
- 🔒 Login and account issues
- 🔋 Performance and battery drain problems
- 👎 Lacking key features like multiplayer

**Reported bugs**

- Game freezes and crashes
- Incorrect tile placement and scoring
- Inconsistent save/resume functionality
- Registration and login problems

**Requested features**

- Add online/local multiplayer modes
- Implement undo/rollback functionality
- Improve tutorial and in-game help
- Add support for expansions and new maps


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hero Realms free?

Hero Realms is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Cartographers free?

Cartographers costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Hero Realms or Cartographers?

Hero Realms is rated higher. Hero Realms averages 4.3 out of 5 from 219 ratings, while Cartographers averages 3.4 from 120 ratings.

### Do Hero Realms or Cartographers have ads?

Neither Hero Realms nor Cartographers shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hero Realms or Cartographers?

Hero Realms ships an update every 2 weeks, and Cartographers every 3 months. Most recently, Hero Realms was updated on October 30, 2026 and Cartographers on October 29, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*