# Vertical Solitaire vs Card Guardians

The clearest difference is ads: Vertical Solitaire at none against Card Guardians's shown. Vertical Solitaire also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and review sentiment (100% vs 76%). Card Guardians's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (3.1K vs 9). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Vertical Solitaire sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Card Guardians sells 18 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Vertical Solitaire holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Card Guardians has 3.1K ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Vertical Solitaire's written reviews are positive against 76% of Card Guardians's.

Vertical Solitaire ships an update every 4 months, Card Guardians every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Vertical Solitaire | Card Guardians |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vertical-solitaire/id1493306412/reviews)** | [4.6 (3.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/card-guardians-deck-builder/id1566663161/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 9 | **3.1K** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 75.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 58 MB | 418 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Cameron Green](https://appshunter.io/developer/1493306411) | [Tapps Games - Jogos Eletronicos](https://appshunter.io/developer/1532941330) |

## What reviewers say

### Vertical Solitaire

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vertical-solitaire/id1493306412)

Experience solitaire designed for single-handed play. This game offers a unique twist on the classic card game, making it accessible and convenient for on-the-go enjoyment.

**Highlights:** Single-hand gameplay, Unique solitaire variation, Accessible design, Classic card game

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Nice Tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Generous Tip | $4.99 | one-time |


### Card Guardians

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/card-guardians-deck-builder/id1566663161)

Embark on a roguelike adventure to save a fantasy world by building a powerful deck of cards. Engage in strategic CCG battles against monsters and powerful bosses, exploring diverse realms and uncovering an epic story.

**Highlights:** Deck building with collectible cards, Strategic CCG battles, Roguelike adventure gameplay, Hero selection and RPG strategy, Explore diverse realms, Boss battles

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

**In-app purchases (18)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Eden Valley Store Chest | $0.99 | one-time |
| Some Crystals (160) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Pile of Crystals (500) | $4.99 | one-time |
| Welcome Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Piggy Bank (S) | $4.99 | one-time |
| Base Pass | $4.99 | one-time |
| Card Guardians - Growth Fund | $6.99 | one-time |
| Gift Of Abundance | $6.99 | one-time |
| Bag of Crystals (1200) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Full Blessing | $9.99 | one-time |
| Piggy Bank (M) | $12.99 | one-time |
| Crate of Crystals (2500) | $19.99 | one-time |
| Piggy Bank (L) | $19.99 | one-time |
| CG - Growth Fund+ | $19.99 | one-time |
| Premium Pass | $19.99 | one-time |
| Chapter Bundle - High Castle | $19.99 | one-time |
| Daily Bundle 4 | $24.99 | one-time |
| Barrel of Crystals (6500) | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Fun gameplay
- 🕹️ Engaging card mechanics
- 🎨 Charming art style
- 🔓 Fair free-to-play model
- 💰 Good value for paid version

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🕰️ Slow progression and grindy
- 🎲 Lack of deck customization
- 🧠 Imbalanced difficulty
- 💰 Excessive microtransactions

**Reported bugs**

- Gear drops not matching the active character
- Inconsistent behavior of status effects
- Infinite loading screens and progression blockers

**Requested features**

- Ability to sell/recycle unwanted equipment
- More character classes and deck variety
- Longer and more replayable adventures
- Better randomization and less RNG dependence
- Quality of life improvements (claim all, etc.)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Vertical Solitaire free?

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

### Is Card Guardians free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Vertical Solitaire or Card Guardians?

Vertical Solitaire is rated higher. Vertical Solitaire averages 4.9 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while Card Guardians averages 4.6 from 3.1K ratings.

### Do Vertical Solitaire or Card Guardians have ads?

Card Guardians shows ads; Vertical Solitaire does not.

### Which is updated more often, Vertical Solitaire or Card Guardians?

Vertical Solitaire ships an update every 4 months, and Card Guardians every 3 weeks. Most recently, Vertical Solitaire was updated on October 24, 2026 and Card Guardians 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.*