Comparison

Stack Guru vs The Family.

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Stack Guru

This app helps users memorize and practice a specific card stack, offering customizable practice modes and scheduled reminders. It features seamless integration with Apple Watch for on-the-go practice and progress tracking.

Highlights
  • Customizable practice modes
  • Scheduled practice reminders
  • Apple Watch integration
  • Dark mode support
  • CloudKit (iCloud) data security
  • Offline practice capability
Features
Read full description

Become Mnemonica stack guru! Select how and what to practice, schedule reminders and practice directly on your wrist using Apple Watch - all with dark mode support! WHY While studying Mnemonica by Juan Tamariz, I started to look for an app to serve me as a learning tool. I wanted the app to automatically remind me to practice as well as being able to quickly practice on my Apple Watch (preferably with an complication displaying some daily progress). Unfortunately I did not find what I was looking for and decided to implement the app myself. This app became Stack Guru. CUSTOMIZE Practice parts of the stack, or the whole stack - you decide! Create your custom practice experience by combining practice modes such as Card to Number, Number to Card, What Comes After, What Comes Before or ACAAN, together with selected parts of the stack. This let you either focus on cementing the basics or perfecting your existing knowledge and master the stack. REMINDER Repetition is the mother of all learning. Stack Guru can help you both memorize and to keep the stack fresh in memory. Simply set reminders and let the app notify when to have a quick practice session. Like your own personal stack trainer. APPLE WATCH Having the tool directly on your wrist makes it super easy to take a short break and focus on the stack. Anywhere and anytime! Use the complication to get the progress of your daily goal and have a quick practice session only a tap away. SECURE AND PRIVATE Practice result data stored online is stored using Apple CloudKit (iCloud) to keep the data secure and private to you. The private database data is accessible only by you. When Stack Guru is used offline, the data is temporarily saved on the device to be synchronized and removed later, when the app is back online.

About

The Family.

Access a comprehensive learning platform for sleight-of-hand magic, featuring over 450 video tutorials, new monthly routines, and live sessions. This membership provides a supportive community and in-depth theory to help you master magic with everyday objects.

Highlights
  • 450+ expert tutorials
  • New magic added monthly
  • Live Q&As
  • Global community
  • Offline viewing
  • Intuitive content organization
Read full description

The Family is Studio52’s complete learning platform for sleight-of-hand magicians. Whether you’re just starting out or refining years of experience, this membership gives you full access to over 450 high-quality video tutorials, new monthly routines, live sessions, deep dives into theory, and one of the most thoughtful and welcoming communities in magic. Inside, you’ll learn powerful, real-world magic with everyday objects—no gimmicks, no filler. Everything is designed to help you perform confidently under real conditions, with routines and techniques rooted in deep thinking, expert craftsmanship, and live performance experience. With new content added every month, you’ll always find something fresh to inspire you. But nothing disappears—everything stays in The Family Library so you can learn at your own pace and revisit past routines anytime. Features include: • 450+ expert tutorials covering moves, theory, and full routines • New magic and training added monthly • Jam sessions and behind-the-scenes footage • Live Q&As and exclusive guest content • A global community of passionate, supportive magicians • Offline viewing and intuitive content organization The Family is more than just a subscription—it’s a growing ecosystem designed to help you master your craft, connect with others, and rediscover why you fell in love with magic in the first place. Join today and see what happens when learning is treated as seriously—and joyfully—as the magic itself. -- For more information see our: -Terms of Service: https://studio52magic.uscreen.io/terms -Privacy Policy: https://studio52magic.uscreen.io/privacy

Screenshots

Stack Guru4 screens
The Family.3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: The Family. at 5.0 against Stack Guru's 4.8. Stack Guru's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

The Family. holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 4 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Stack Guru ships an update monthly, The Family. every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on June 4, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Stack Guru versus The Family.: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStack GuruThe Family.
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (5 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings5 — better4
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 4 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPod, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB63 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperJonas ErikssonStudio52 Magic

Customer experience

Stack Guru

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

The Family.

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Stack Guru

No in-app purchases

None

The Family.

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Stack Guru free?
Stack Guru is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is The Family. free?
The Family. is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Stack Guru or The Family.?
The Family. is rated higher. Stack Guru averages 4.8 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while The Family. averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Stack Guru or The Family. have ads?
Neither Stack Guru nor The Family. shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Stack Guru or The Family.?
Stack Guru ships an update monthly, and The Family. every 4 weeks. Most recently, Stack Guru was updated on June 4, 2026 and The Family. on October 18, 2026.

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