# WingMate Companion vs Ark Nova

The clearest difference is price: WingMate Companion at Free against Ark Nova's $10.99. Ark Nova's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 11) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

WingMate Companion is free to download; Ark Nova costs $10.99 up front. WingMate Companion sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. Ark Nova asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for WingMate Companion against 4.8 for Ark Nova. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 267 and 1.3K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 63% of WingMate Companion's written reviews are positive against 73% of Ark Nova's.

WingMate Companion ships an update every 2 months, Ark Nova every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | WingMate Companion | Ark Nova |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $10.99 |
| Rating | [4.7 (267 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wingmate-companion/id1482429144/reviews) | **[4.8 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ark-nova/id6449233549/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 267 | **1.3K** |
| Positive reviews | 62.9% of reviews | **73.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#40** |
| Size | 45 MB | 682 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Timothy Cherna](https://appshunter.io/developer/1190324457) | [Dire Wolf Digital](https://appshunter.io/developer/815343758) |

## What reviewers say

### WingMate Companion

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wingmate-companion/id1482429144)

This app enhances the board game experience by managing player actions, goals, and scoring. It offers features like player setup, Automa management, and detailed game result summaries. Unlock full scoring and solo play through in-app purchases.

**Highlights:** Player setup and action cube assignment, Automa player selection and difficulty, End-of-round goal tile management, Automatic scoring for goals and points, Game result summaries and sharing, Automa move display and tracking

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 7-day Trial | Free | one-time |
| European Expansion | $0.99 | one-time |
| Automa Unlock | $1.99 | one-time |
| Oceania Expansion | $1.99 | one-time |
| Asia Expansion | $1.99 | one-time |
| Americas Expansion | $1.99 | one-time |
| Scoring Unlock | $2.99 | one-time |
| Scoring Bundle (2020) | $3.99 | one-time |
| Automa Bundle (2020) | $4.99 | one-time |
| Scoring Bundle (2020) | $4.99 | one-time |
| Automa Bundle (2022) | $5.99 | one-time |


### 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 WingMate Companion free?

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

### Is Ark Nova free?

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

### Which has better reviews, WingMate Companion or Ark Nova?

Ark Nova is rated higher. WingMate Companion averages 4.7 out of 5 from 267 ratings, while Ark Nova averages 4.8 from 1.3K ratings.

### Do WingMate Companion or Ark Nova have ads?

Neither WingMate Companion nor Ark Nova shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, WingMate Companion or Ark Nova?

WingMate Companion ships an update every 2 months, and Ark Nova every 3 weeks. Most recently, WingMate Companion was updated on October 26, 2026 and Ark Nova on October 30, 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.*