# Vertical Solitaire vs Balatro

The clearest difference is price: Vertical Solitaire at Free against Balatro's $9.99. Vertical Solitaire also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 81%). Balatro's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 4 months). On rating, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Vertical Solitaire is free to download; Balatro costs $9.99 up front. Vertical Solitaire sells 3 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 Vertical Solitaire against 5.0 for Balatro. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Balatro has 105K ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of Vertical Solitaire's written reviews are positive against 81% of Balatro's.

Vertical Solitaire ships an update every 4 months, Balatro every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Vertical Solitaire | Balatro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $9.99 |
| Rating | [4.9 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vertical-solitaire/id1493306412/reviews) | **[5.0 (105K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/balatro/id6502453075/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 9 | **105K** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 81.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#2** |
| Size | 58 MB | 93 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 13.5 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Cameron Green](https://appshunter.io/developer/1493306411) | [Playstack Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1133080356) |

## 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 |


### Balatro

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

**Currently charting:** #2 Top Paid · Card, #5 Top Paid · Strategy, #10 Top Paid · Games, #12 Top Paid, #109 Top Grossing · Card, #156 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 Vertical Solitaire free?

Vertical Solitaire 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, Vertical Solitaire or Balatro?

Balatro is rated higher. Vertical Solitaire averages 4.9 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while Balatro averages 5.0 from 105K ratings.

### Do Vertical Solitaire or Balatro have ads?

Neither Vertical Solitaire nor Balatro shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Vertical Solitaire or Balatro?

Vertical Solitaire ships an update every 4 months, and Balatro every 5 days. Most recently, Vertical Solitaire was updated on October 15, 2026 and Balatro on October 18, 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.*