Comparison

Samwise vs Heartforge

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

Head to head
About

Samwise

Create, manage, and play tabletop role-playing games with friends across any device. Offers tools for GMs and players, including character sheets, rulebooks, dice rolling, chat, and interactive maps. Supports custom RPG creation and community content.

Highlights
  • Create custom RPGs
  • GM and player tools
  • Cross-device synchronization
  • Interactive maps with fog of war
  • Integrated chat and dice rolling
  • Flexible sheet system for all RPG elements
  • Community content marketplace
Features
Read full description

Create, GM, and play Tabletop RPGs with your friends, on any device ——— Designed with Care Samwise gives GMs and players a clean interface that keeps everything organized and uncluttered, no matter the size of your campaign. Every detail is thought through and developed by a team of RPG enthusiasts like you. ——— Free Edition If you're a GM, you get plenty of room to run your campaigns for free, with the option to upgrade to Legendary Edition if you ever need more. Players can join as many campaigns as they want, completely free. ——— Wherever You Go Samwise has the full set of features on all your devices, so you don't have to give anything up when switching between your phone, tablet, or computer. Character sheets, rulebooks, campaign notes, dice rolling, chat, interactive maps, and more, all synced in real time for you to pick up right where you left off. ——— Together or Apart You can bring Samwise right to the table on your phone or tablet for in-person sessions, or use it remotely when you and your friends are apart. ——— Create RPGs or Play D&D and More Create your own Tabletop RPGs with an easy-to-use and flexible editor, without writing a single line of code. Or find D&D and many other RPGs at the Emporium, including creations from the community, and start playing right away. ——— Everything Can Be a Sheet In Samwise, everything in your RPG can be represented by a sheet, not just characters. Weapons, armor, consumables, creatures: each can have their own fields, calculations, resources, and everything else available to character sheets, instead of being just text entries or rulebook references. ——— Interactive Maps Create maps from scratch or add interactivity to maps created elsewhere. Character tokens, lighting, fog of war, and rulers for measuring distances and areas of effect are just some of what you can use, with straightforward tools so you can quickly get a map ready for your session. ——— Chat & Roll Chat and roll dice in real time with your group. Coordinate your next session, discuss strategies, or celebrate those miracle rolls without having to switch to another app. ——— Campaign Notes Capture and organize important information or just jot down random thoughts to remember later. No more need for a separate note-taking app or a bunch of handwritten notes you have to bring to every session. ——— Built with the Community We want to make Samwise the best it can be for GMs and players, and we know no one has all the answers. That's why our community means so much to us, and you can be a part of it by sharing your creations at the Emporium or bringing us your ideas and feedback on Discord and Reddit as we continue to improve Samwise together. ——— Make Samwise Part of Your Next Adventure Our goal is to give GMs and players everything they need in a Tabletop RPG platform that can be used anywhere and on any device, embracing modern technology but never forgetting what makes Tabletop RPGs so special: the shared moments, the creativity, the storytelling that draws you in. Welcome to Samwise, and may the dice always roll in your favor! ——— Standard Apple Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Heartforge

This app is a digital assistant for the Daggerheart tabletop role-playing game, offering tools for both game masters and players. It facilitates character sheet management, campaign building, encounter tracking, and provides a searchable compendium of game content. Features include offline functionality, soundscapes, and guided leveling up.

Highlights
  • Character sheet management
  • Campaign building tools
  • Combat encounter tracker
  • Searchable compendium
  • Offline functionality
  • Soundscape integration
  • Guided character leveling
Features
Read full description

Forge your next adventure. Heartforge is a powerful, tactile Daggerheart-compatible assistant for both game masters and players. Whether you’re building a campaign, running a tense encounter, or managing your character sheet, Heartforge brings your table together on iPad or iPhone. It’s designed to be fast, visual, and easy to use. For Game Masters • Adventures: Build, organize, and run your worlds with characters, loot, encounters, and locations. Link content with notes, @-mentions, and embedded statblocks. Invite your players to join to sync character stats and homebrew content. • Encounters: Track combat with tools built for Daggerheart. Manage Hit Points, Stress, and Fear with quick taps. Add adversaries directly from the environment your players are exploring. • Compendium: A searchable library of creatures, loot, equipment, and environments, now with Daggerheart SRD 2.0. Create your own, import content, and drop items into adventures or encounters with a tap. • Embed music and sounds in statblocks, encounters, and your prep notes for instant atmospheres at the tabletop. • Enjoy regular new creatures and environments, each with a One Page Adventure that works as a one-shot or a drop-in for ongoing campaigns. • Handy utilities like a dice calculator and Fear tracker. • Fully customizable Home view that works as your rules reference or a custom GM screen. For Players • Character Sheets: Track your abilities, Hope, Feats, equipment, and advancements in a clean, touch-friendly layout. • Join your GM’s adventure: Enter a join code to link your character to the adventure. Your GM can bring it into encounters and track its status, while its details and stats stay yours. • Level Up: Follow a guided flow to apply new traits and improvements without digging through reference material. • Companions & Beastforms: Manage companion stats and transformations right from your sheet. • Offline Ready: Everything works with or without an internet connection. Heartforge content is written by people, not AI, and the app is illustrated by real artists. Unlock the full Heartforge experience with a monthly or yearly subscription, granting access to all features and content drops. Why people love it • Supports user-generated content, free of charge • Scales from quick one-shots to sprawling campaigns • Tactile, approachable interface for both GMs and players • Built for Daggerheart from the ground up • Works offline Heartforge is not affiliated with, endorsed, or sponsored by Darrington Press. Terms of use: https://www.heartforge.app/terms-of-use/ Privacy policy: https://www.heartforge.app/privacy-policy/

Screenshots

Samwise4 screens
Heartforge4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Samwise at 5.0 against Heartforge's 3.8. Samwise also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and update cadence (every 4 days vs fortnightly). Heartforge's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and in-app purchases 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. Samwise sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Heartforge sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Samwise holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 10 and 8 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Samwise ships an update every 4 days, Heartforge fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Samwise versus Heartforge: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSamwiseHeartforge
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (10 ratings) — better3.8 (8 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings10 — better8
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterFortnightly
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size117 MB189 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperEstúdio Pirilampo Mestre de Arte DigitalLauri Kieksi

Customer experience

Samwise

All ratings10 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Heartforge

All ratings8 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Samwise

Subscriptions4
  • Legendary Edition Offer (Monthly)$2.991 Month
  • Legendary Edition (Monthly)$4.991 Month
  • Legendary Edition Offer (Yearly)$23.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Legendary Edition (Yearly)$47.991 Year
3 purchases

Heartforge

Subscriptions2
  • Heartforge Premium (Monthly)$2.991 Month
  • Heartforge Premium Yearly$22.991 Year
One-time1
  • Heartforge Premium Lifetime$38.99

Questions

Is Samwise free?
Samwise is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Heartforge free?
Heartforge is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Samwise or Heartforge?
Samwise is rated higher. Samwise averages 5.0 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while Heartforge averages 3.8 from 8 ratings.
Do Samwise or Heartforge have ads?
Samwise shows ads; Heartforge does not.
Which is updated more often, Samwise or Heartforge?
Samwise ships an update every 4 days, and Heartforge fortnightly. Most recently, Samwise was updated on November 7, 2026 and Heartforge on November 8, 2026.

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