Five Square vs Ball Stack
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Five Square
This card game offers a strategic solitaire experience where all cards are visible from the start. It challenges players to plan and strategize to win, unlike traditional solitaire games that rely heavily on luck. It's designed for thinkers who enjoy puzzles and strategy games.
- Strategic solitaire gameplay
- All cards visible at start
- Four difficulty levels
- Customizable gameplay options
- Gameplay statistics tracking
- Universal iOS support
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~~~ Note: Five Square is a Pay What You Want app. Download it for free and we’ll ask you to pay an amount that feels good after you’ve won a few games. You can also decide not to pay, or pay right away in the app's settings. ~~~ Ever gotten bored with regular solitaire, and all the luck involved in winning? Five Square is different. All the cards are visible at the start of the game, most layouts are winnable, and whether you win is determined almost entirely by how well you strategize and plan. That’s why we call it the Chess of Solitaire. And yet, unlike Chess, the rules can be described in little more than a sentence: ◆ Deal a 5x5 square of cards face up. ◆ Stack cards (or stacks of cards)… ◆ …onto others of the same suit or rank… ◆ …within the same row or column. ◆ Win by getting them all into one stack. That's it! People who enjoy Sudoku puzzles, Chess puzzles, or FreeCell will love Five Square. It's a thinker’s card game. Features: ‣ Four difficulty levels (2 Suit, 3 Suit, 4 Suit, and Challenge mode) ‣ Satisfying, beautiful cards that are a joy to use ‣ Concise How to Play guide with tips on best strategies ‣ Other ways to play (adding Jokers as wildcards or removing Face Cards to make the game easier) ‣ Gameplay statistics (Total Layouts Dealt, Wins, and a “Chess Wins” statistic for games won without restarting the layout or undoing multiple moves in a row) ‣ Customizable app behavior (turn on and off in-game sounds, haptic feedback, and more) ‣ Universal support for iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad Can you get all the cards into one stack?
Ball Stack
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# Ball Stack: color sort puzzle A solitaire-like puzzle created for solo play. A family member inspired me to create a version of this game that is clean and focused on the experience. The download is small, and fast to install. The interface is responsive. There are no ads or interruptions. No hidden costs: No runtime access to device networks. Excellent Privacy: No runtime access to device media. Excellent Security: Single installation. Excellent Battery Life: 9.5 hours playtime on a Galaxy Tab A8 10.5" Tablet. ### Feedback * You have agency in this world; Let us know how we can improve the experience for you. * Email ballstack@rufe.org
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Ball Stack at none against Five Square's 5. Ball Stack also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 29 months) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.0). On price, ads and device support 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
Both are free to download. Five Square sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Ball Stack asks for nothing beyond the download.
Five Square ships an update every 29 months, Ball Stack every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on September 25, 2026.
| Parameter | Five Square | Ball Stack |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (4 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 4 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 29 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 11.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 6 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | George Woodliff-Stanley | Rufe.org LLC |
In-app purchases
Five Square
- Purchase Five Square$0.99
- Purchase Five Square$3.99
- Purchase Five Square$8.99
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- Purchase Five Square$15.99
- Purchase Five Square$24.99
Ball Stack
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Five Square free?
Is Ball Stack free?
Do Five Square or Ball Stack have ads?
Which is updated more often, Five Square or Ball Stack?
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