# Wingspan vs Ark Nova

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Ark Nova at none against Wingspan's 12. Ark Nova also leads on review sentiment (73% vs 61%) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Wingspan's advantage is ratings volume (13K vs 1.3K) and chart position (#6 vs #40). On rating, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Wingspan costs $9.99 and Ark Nova $10.99 up front. Wingspan sells 12 one-off in-app purchases. Ark Nova asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Wingspan against 4.8 for Ark Nova. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Wingspan has 13K ratings behind it against 1.3K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 61% of Wingspan's written reviews are positive against 73% of Ark Nova's.

Wingspan ships an update every 2 weeks, Ark Nova every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Wingspan | Ark Nova |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$9.99** | $10.99 |
| Rating | [4.8 (13K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wingspan-the-board-game/id1459520638/reviews) | **[4.8 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ark-nova/id6449233549/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **13K** | 1.3K |
| Positive reviews | 61.0% of reviews | **73.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#6** | #40 |
| Size | 1.0 GB | 682 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Monster Couch](https://appshunter.io/developer/1444305232) | [Dire Wolf Digital](https://appshunter.io/developer/815343758) |

## What reviewers say

### Wingspan

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wingspan-the-board-game/id1459520638)

**Currently charting:** #6 Top Paid · Board, #27 Top Paid · Strategy, #80 Top Paid · Games, #127 Top Paid, #146 Top Grossing · Board (US App Store)

A relaxing, award-winning strategy card game where you discover and attract birds to build wildlife preserves. Compete with up to five players to create powerful combinations and score points through birds, bonus cards, and goals.

**Highlights:** Discover and attract birds, Build wildlife preserves, Engine-building strategy, Single and multiplayer modes, Animated birds with real sounds, Multiple scoring methods

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Seasonal Decorative Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Woodland Wonders Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Seasonal Decorative Pack 2 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Birds of Continental Europe | $5.99 | one-time |
| Bird Pack: Additional Asian Avians | $5.99 | one-time |
| Bird Pack: British Birds | $5.99 | one-time |
| European Expansion | $9.99 | one-time |
| Oceania Expansion | $11.99 | one-time |
| Asia Expansion | $11.99 | one-time |
| Bird Packs Season Pass | $12.99 | one-time |
| Bird Packs Season Pass | $18.99 | one-time |
| Bird Packs Season Pass | $24.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Beautiful gameplay
- 🎶 Lovely music and sound effects
- 🕰️ Relaxing and calming experience
- 📚 Educational bird facts
- 🕹️ Faithful digital adaptation of the board game

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Small text and icons difficult to read
- 🕰️ AI opponents take too long to make moves
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🤯 Frustrating online multiplayer experience

**Reported bugs**

- End-of-game buttons not working
- Unfinished games not clearing from main menu
- Inconsistent response when tapping on cards/habitats
- Incorrect behavior of certain bird abilities
- Crashes when playing specific card combinations

**Requested features**

- Ability to reorder cards in hand
- Option to save/friend usernames for online play
- Faster AI turns
- In-game chat function
- Ability to view opponent's hand size


### Ark Nova

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

**Currently charting:** #40 Top Paid · Board, #121 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 Wingspan free?

Wingspan costs $9.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Ark Nova free?

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

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

Ark Nova is rated higher. Wingspan averages 4.8 out of 5 from 13K ratings, while Ark Nova averages 4.8 from 1.3K ratings.

### Do Wingspan or Ark Nova have ads?

Neither Wingspan nor Ark Nova shows ads.

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

Wingspan ships an update every 2 weeks, and Ark Nova every 3 weeks. Most recently, Wingspan was updated on November 1, 2026 and Ark Nova on October 30, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Wingspan or Ark Nova?

Wingspan currently peaks at #6 in the App Store charts, and Ark Nova at #40. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*