# D&D Beyond vs Samwise

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Samwise at 100% against D&D Beyond's 54%. Samwise also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and update cadence (every 8 days vs every 3 weeks). D&D Beyond's advantage is ratings volume (91K vs 9) and chart position (#62 vs unranked). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. D&D Beyond sells 27 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Samwise sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Samwise holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: D&D Beyond has 91K ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 54% of D&D Beyond's written reviews are positive against 100% of Samwise's.

D&D Beyond ships an update every 3 weeks, Samwise every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | D&D Beyond | Samwise |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (91K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/d-and-d-beyond/id1501810129/reviews) | **[5.0 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/samwise-rpg-assistant/id1663948907/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **91K** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | 54.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#62** | — |
| Size | 333 MB | 114 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Wizards of the Coast](https://appshunter.io/developer/491192018) | [Estúdio Pirilampo Mestre de Arte Digital](https://appshunter.io/developer/1561022049) |

## What reviewers say

### D&D Beyond

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/d-and-d-beyond/id1501810129)

**Currently charting:** #62 Top Grossing · Entertainment, #188 Top Free · Entertainment (US App Store)

Manage your Dungeons & Dragons characters, access your digital library of adventures and sourcebooks, and roll dice with a built-in dice roller. This app provides offline access to your content and tools to make gameplay faster and more convenient for players and Dungeon Masters alike.

**Highlights:** Digital character sheets, Built-in dice roller, Offline library access, Guided character creator, Monster stat lookup, Spell and item management

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

**In-app purchases (27)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hero Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Master Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| Hero Annual | $25.99 | per year |
| Master Annual | $54.99 | per year |
| Valda’s Spire of Secrets:... | $14.99 | one-time |
| The Pugilist Class (2024) | $14.99 | one-time |
| Valda’s Spire of Secrets | $14.99 | one-time |
| The Illrigger Revised | $14.99 | one-time |
| Grim Hollow: Player Pack | $14.99 | one-time |
| Eberron: Forge of the... | $19.99 | one-time |
| Monster Manual | $29.99 | one-time |
| The Book of Many Things | $29.99 | one-time |
| Arcana Unleashed | $29.99 | one-time |
| Dungeon Master's Guide | $29.99 | one-time |
| Xanathar's Guide to Everything | $29.99 | one-time |
| Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything | $29.99 | one-time |
| Player's Handbook | $29.99 | one-time |
| Monsters of the Multiverse | $29.99 | one-time |
| Player’s Handbook (2024) | $29.99 | one-time |
| Heliana’s Guide to Monster... | $29.99 | one-time |
| Obojima: Tales from the... | $29.99 | one-time |
| Monster Manual (2024) | $29.99 | one-time |
| The Griffon’s Saddlebag:... | $29.99 | one-time |
| Dungeon Master’s Guide (2024) | $29.99 | one-time |
| Ravenloft: The Horrors Within | $39.99 | one-time |
| Lord of the Rings Roleplaying | $39.99 | one-time |
| Book of Ebon Tides | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful resource
- 👍 Best fit for purpose
- 🚀 Brilliant idea
- 👍 Crazy useful
- 👍 Great app to help keep track of things

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Slow online, barely usable offline
- 🔒 Can't play the game
- 🔒 Poor UI for perusing books
- 🐛 Styling broken on iPad
- 🔒 Paywall

**Reported bugs**

- Artificial character creation issues
- Inconsistent character sheet data
- Crashes and freezes
- Incompatibility with older devices
- Login issues

**Requested features**

- Ability to scan physical books
- More customization options
- Game log tracker
- Integrate ApplePay for subscription
- Ability to manage experience, levels, items, etc. within the app


### Samwise

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/samwise-rpg-assistant/id1663948907)

This platform helps you create, manage, and play tabletop role-playing games. It offers tools for building custom RPG systems, interactive maps, and real-time chat for remote or in-person play. Enjoy a paperless gaming experience with seamless syncing across devices.

**Highlights:** Create custom RPG systems, Interactive map builder, Real-time chat and dice rolls, Campaign note-taking, Cross-device syncing, Community content library

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Legendary Edition Offer (Monthly) | $2.99 | per month |
| Legendary Edition (Monthly) | $4.99 | per month |
| Legendary Edition Offer (Yearly) | $23.99 | per year |
| Legendary Edition (Yearly) | $47.99 | per year |
| LIFETIME Legendary Edition | $59.99 | one-time |
| LIFETIME Legendary Edition | $79.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is D&D Beyond free?

D&D Beyond is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Samwise free?

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

### Which has better reviews, D&D Beyond or Samwise?

Samwise is rated higher. D&D Beyond averages 4.7 out of 5 from 91K ratings, while Samwise averages 5.0 from 9 ratings.

### Do D&D Beyond or Samwise have ads?

Both D&D Beyond and Samwise show ads.

### Which is updated more often, D&D Beyond or Samwise?

D&D Beyond ships an update every 3 weeks, and Samwise every 8 days. Most recently, D&D Beyond was updated on September 25, 2026 and Samwise on September 9, 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.*