Comparison

Five Square vs Ball Stack

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Strategic solitaire gameplay
  • All cards visible at start
  • Four difficulty levels
  • Customizable gameplay options
  • Gameplay statistics tracking
  • Universal iOS support
Features
Read full description

~~~ 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?

About

Ball Stack

Read full description

# 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

Five Square4 screens
Ball Stack2 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Five Square sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Ball Stack asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Five Square ships an update every 29 months, Ball Stack every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on September 25, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Five Square versus Ball Stack: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFive SquareBall Stack
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (4 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 29 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.011.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGeorge Woodliff-StanleyRufe.org LLC

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Five Square

One-time5
  • Purchase Five Square$0.99
  • Purchase Five Square$3.99
  • Purchase Five Square$8.99
Show 2 more
  • Purchase Five Square$15.99
  • Purchase Five Square$24.99
None

Ball Stack

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Five Square free?
Five Square is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Ball Stack free?
Ball Stack is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Five Square or Ball Stack have ads?
Neither Five Square nor Ball Stack shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Five Square or Ball Stack?
Five Square ships an update every 29 months, and Ball Stack every 3 weeks. Most recently, Five Square was updated on September 25, 2026 and Ball Stack on September 25, 2026.

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