# Hero Realms vs Dune

The clearest difference is price: Hero Realms at Free against Dune's $10.99. Dune's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.3) and review sentiment (79% vs 60%). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Hero Realms is free to download; Dune costs $10.99 up front. Hero Realms sells 13 one-off in-app purchases and Dune sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Dune holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dune has 5K ratings behind it against 219, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of Hero Realms's written reviews are positive against 79% of Dune's.

Hero Realms ships an update every 2 weeks, Dune every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hero Realms | Dune |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $10.99 |
| Rating | [4.3 (219 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hero-realms/id1396367189/reviews) | **[4.9 (5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dune-imperium/id1575414319/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 219 | **5K** |
| Positive reviews | 60.2% of reviews | **79.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#24** |
| Size | 432 MB | 804 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [White Wizard Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/893447128) | [Dire Wolf Digital](https://appshunter.io/developer/815343758) |

## What reviewers say

### Hero Realms

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

Engage in strategic deckbuilding combat, recruiting champions and using gold to acquire new cards. Battle opponents online or cooperatively against AI, with a single-player campaign available. Level up your hero and unlock new classes and missions.

**Highlights:** Deckbuilding combat, Recruit champions, Online PVP, Cooperative online play, Single player campaign, Hero leveling system

**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


### Dune

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dune-imperium/id1575414319)

**Currently charting:** #24 Top Paid · Board, #83 Top Paid · Strategy (US App Store)

Engage in strategic warfare and political intrigue on the desert planet Arrakis. This award-winning board game adaptation blends deck-building and worker placement mechanics. Compete against AI, other players online, or face unique challenges and rotating game modes.

**Highlights:** Deck-building mechanics, Worker placement strategy, Online multiplayer, Local AI battles, Unique challenges, Rotating Skirmish Mode, Achievement system

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Dune: Imperium - Rise of Ix | $9.99 | one-time |
| Dune: Imperium - Immortality | $9.99 | one-time |
| Dune: Imperium - Uprising | $10.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth gameplay
- 🎨 Beautiful implementation
- 💪 Challenging AI
- 🕹️ Great digital adaptation of the board game
- 🕰️ Quick gameplay sessions

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Obtrusive DRM
- 🕹️ No local multiplayer/pass-and-play
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 🔁 Slow reloading when switching between app and game
- 🔍 Difficulty seeing card details

**Reported bugs**

- Intrigue card issues
- Inconsistent login credentials
- Notification problems
- Victory points reset bug

**Requested features**

- Controller support
- Pass and play mode
- Ability to choose leaders
- Expand card detail visibility


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hero Realms free?

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

### Is Dune free?

Dune costs $10.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

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

Dune is rated higher. Hero Realms averages 4.3 out of 5 from 219 ratings, while Dune averages 4.9 from 5K ratings.

### Do Hero Realms or Dune have ads?

Neither Hero Realms nor Dune shows ads.

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

Hero Realms ships an update every 2 weeks, and Dune every 5 days. Most recently, Hero Realms was updated on October 21, 2026 and Dune on October 25, 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.*