# Arkham Cards vs Ark Nova

The clearest difference is price: Arkham Cards at Free against Ark Nova's $10.99. Arkham Cards also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 weeks) and review sentiment (91% vs 73%). Ark Nova's advantage is chart position (#25 vs unranked) and ratings volume (1.3K vs 242). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Arkham Cards against 4.9 for Ark Nova. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ark Nova has 1.3K ratings behind it against 242, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 91% of Arkham Cards's written reviews are positive against 73% of Ark Nova's.

Arkham Cards ships an update every 5 days, Ark Nova every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 25, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Arkham Cards | Ark Nova |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $10.99 |
| Rating | **[5.0 (242 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arkham-cards/id1424000351/reviews)** | [4.9 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ark-nova/id6449233549/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 242 | **1.3K** |
| Positive reviews | **91.5% of reviews** | 73.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#25** |
| Size | 334 MB | 682 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Daniel Salinas](https://appshunter.io/developer/1396892499) | [Dire Wolf Digital](https://appshunter.io/developer/815343758) |

## What reviewers say

### Arkham Cards

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arkham-cards/id1424000351)

Manage your investigator decks, track campaign progress, and explore game mechanics. This tool helps you build valid decks, log scenario results, and even simulate chaos bag draws. It's designed to enhance your gameplay experience for a popular card game.

**Highlights:** Deck creation and editing, Campaign progress tracking, Automatic campaign log, Investigator trauma management, Digital chaos bag simulation, Advanced card search

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Ark Nova

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

**Currently charting:** #25 Top Paid · Board, #82 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 Arkham Cards free?

Arkham Cards 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, Arkham Cards or Ark Nova?

Arkham Cards is rated higher. Arkham Cards averages 5.0 out of 5 from 242 ratings, while Ark Nova averages 4.9 from 1.3K ratings.

### Do Arkham Cards or Ark Nova have ads?

Neither Arkham Cards nor Ark Nova shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Arkham Cards or Ark Nova?

Arkham Cards ships an update every 5 days, and Ark Nova every 3 weeks. Most recently, Arkham Cards was updated on October 25, 2026 and Ark Nova 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.*