# Ephod™ vs Gem Merchant

The clearest difference is rating: Ephod™ at 4.6 against Gem Merchant's 1.0. Ephod™ also leads on ratings volume (1K vs 1) and review sentiment (43% vs 25%). Gem Merchant's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and ads (none vs shown). On price there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Ephod™ sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Gem Merchant asks for nothing beyond the download.

Ephod™ holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ephod™ has 1K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 43% of Ephod™'s written reviews are positive against 25% of Gem Merchant's.

Ephod™ ships an update weekly, Gem Merchant fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ephod™ | Gem Merchant |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ephod/id1633480108/reviews)** | [1.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gem-merchant/id6748193480/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | **43.0% of reviews** | 25.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 255 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jinhyeok Jeong](https://appshunter.io/developer/1499612601) | [梦成 李](https://appshunter.io/developer/1821210608) |

## What reviewers say

### Ephod™

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ephod/id1633480108)

Engage in a real-time strategy card game where players collect tokens to buy cards and earn points. Team up with friends for 2-on-2 matches or compete in ranked games to climb the leaderboards. Customize your game board and personalize your profile.

**Highlights:** Token collection and card buying, 2-on-2 team play with Card Pings, Private and custom games with friends, Ranked games and leaderboards, In-game tutorial for new players, Board and profile customization

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 3,000 | $1.99 | one-time |
| 6,600 | $3.99 | one-time |
| 11,500 | $6.99 | one-time |
| Remove Pre-Game Ads | $6.99 | one-time |
| Stocking Pass | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great implementation of Splendor
- 🚀 Smooth gameplay
- 💎 Faithful recreation of the board game
- 🎨 Excellent visual design
- 🤝 Enjoyable multiplayer experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent bugs and glitches
- 🔁 Excessive need to update the app
- 🕰️ Freezing and turn skipping issues
- 💰 Aggressive monetization with ads and coins
- 🔌 Connectivity problems and disconnections

**Reported bugs**

- Blank screens and loading issues
- Incorrect scoring and noble card distribution
- Account login and progress loss problems
- Unresponsive controls and buttons
- Crashes and force-quits during gameplay

**Requested features**

- Offline/single-player mode
- Ability to customize game settings (e.g., points target)
- Replay/review functionality
- Improved matchmaking and ranked system
- Support for more players in private games


### Gem Merchant

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gem-merchant/id6748193480)

A digital adaptation of a classic two-player card game focused on strategic gem collection and prestige. Manage resources, acquire development cards, and attract nobles to earn points and win.

**Highlights:** Classic board game digitalization, Strategic gem collection, Two-player battle mode (online/local), Diverse strategic options, Exquisite visual design, Easy to learn, deep strategy

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ephod™ free?

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

### Is Gem Merchant free?

Gem Merchant is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Ephod™ or Gem Merchant?

Ephod™ is rated higher. Ephod™ averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1K ratings, while Gem Merchant averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Ephod™ or Gem Merchant have ads?

Ephod™ shows ads; Gem Merchant does not.

### Which is updated more often, Ephod™ or Gem Merchant?

Ephod™ ships an update weekly, and Gem Merchant fortnightly. Most recently, Ephod™ was updated on November 7, 2026 and Gem Merchant on November 8, 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.*