# Dominion vs Balatro

The clearest difference is price: Dominion at Free against Balatro's $9.99. Dominion also leads on iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). Balatro's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 17) and ratings volume (108K vs 5.1K). On rating, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Dominion is free to download; Balatro costs $9.99 up front. Dominion sells 17 one-off in-app purchases. Balatro asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Dominion against 5.0 for Balatro. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Balatro has 108K ratings behind it against 5.1K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 68% of Dominion's written reviews are positive against 81% of Balatro's.

Dominion ships an update every 5 days, Balatro every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dominion | Balatro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $9.99 |
| Rating | [4.9 (5.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dominion/id1476461085/reviews) | **[5.0 (108K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/balatro/id6502453075/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 5.1K | **108K** |
| Positive reviews | 68.5% of reviews | **81.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 8 days |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#2** |
| Size | 423 MB | 94 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Temple Gates Games LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1190675051) | [Playstack Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1133080356) |

## What reviewers say

### Dominion

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dominion/id1476461085)

Build a powerful deck to expand your kingdom and earn victory points in this acclaimed deck-building strategy game. Explore vast card combinations, compete against AI or other players online, and enjoy endless replayability with numerous expansions.

**Highlights:** Deck-building mechanics, Kingdom expansion, AI opponent, Online multiplayer, Daily puzzles, Cross-platform play, Expansion packs

**In-app purchases (17)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Alchemy | $4.99 | one-time |
| Intrigue | $4.99 | one-time |
| Cornucopia | $4.99 | one-time |
| Guilds | $4.99 | one-time |
| Seaside | $9.99 | one-time |
| Renaissance | $9.99 | one-time |
| Menagerie | $9.99 | one-time |
| Prosperity | $9.99 | one-time |
| Dark Ages | $9.99 | one-time |
| Adventures | $9.99 | one-time |
| Empires | $9.99 | one-time |
| Plunder | $9.99 | one-time |
| Nocturne | $9.99 | one-time |
| Rising Sun | $9.99 | one-time |
| Hinterlands | $9.99 | one-time |
| Launch Bundle | $99.99 | one-time |
| Expansion Bundle | $109.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth gameplay
- 🎮 Faithful adaptation of the board game
- 👍 Challenging AI opponents
- 🎨 Great visual design and animations
- 📱 Convenient mobile experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and glitches (e.g. crashes, card interactions not working as expected)
- 🤖 Inconsistent or overpowered AI behavior
- 💰 Expensive expansion packs
- 🕰️ Slow animation speed for AI turns
- 🔀 Lack of customization options (e.g. disabling certain cards, saving game setups)

**Reported bugs**

- Possession card not working correctly
- Victory points not displayed properly
- Inability to rejoin games after server disconnects

**Requested features**

- Ability to select specific card sets for randomized games
- Option to complete games against AI when opponents forfeit
- More detailed game statistics and player history tracking
- Improved matchmaking filters for online play
- Shareable in-app purchases for family members


### Balatro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/balatro/id6502453075)

**Currently charting:** #2 Top Paid · Card, #4 Top Paid · Strategy, #7 Top Paid · Games, #11 Top Paid, #116 Top Grossing · Card, #160 Top Grossing · Strategy (US App Store)

This game blends poker and solitaire mechanics with unique rule-bending twists. Build powerful poker hands, discover game-changing Joker cards, and create exciting combos to defeat challenging Boss Blinds. Explore different decks and game modes for endless replayability.

**Highlights:** Poker and Solitaire hybrid gameplay, Rule-bending mechanics, Collect over 150 unique Joker cards, Create powerful combos, Campaign and challenge modes, Pixel art visuals

**Features:** Game Controller support, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Addictive gameplay
- 💎 Unique and compelling mechanics
- 👍 Easy to learn, hard to master
- 🎨 Charming pixel art and music
- 💰 Great value for money

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and save issues
- 🔍 Small text and UI elements
- 🔋 Battery draining
- 🔇 No background music support

**Reported bugs**

- Unlocks and achievements not registering properly
- Crashes and freezes on certain devices
- Joker and card interactions not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Cloud save sync across devices
- Portrait mode option
- Customizable UI and accessibility settings


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Dominion free?

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

### Is Balatro free?

Balatro costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Dominion or Balatro?

Balatro is rated higher. Dominion averages 4.9 out of 5 from 5.1K ratings, while Balatro averages 5.0 from 108K ratings.

### Do Dominion or Balatro have ads?

Neither Dominion nor Balatro shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Dominion or Balatro?

Dominion ships an update every 5 days, and Balatro every 8 days. Most recently, Dominion was updated on October 29, 2026 and Balatro on October 31, 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.*