Comparison

Action Bowling Classic vs PBA® Bowling Challenge

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

Head to head
About

Action Bowling Classic

Experience realistic arcade bowling with stunning 3D graphics and physics. Compete in various locations with custom balls, master different shot types, and challenge friends. Track your progress with detailed stats.

Highlights
  • 10 bowling locations
  • 72 custom bowling balls
  • 3D physics engine
  • Professional shot types
  • Pass and Play multiplayer
  • Practice mode
  • Detailed stats tracking
Features
Read full description

Action Bowing Classic (previously Action Bowling Free) - the best bowling game on iOS. Now with over 40 million downloads! ************************************* Game Review: Kronos's Action Bowling Rolls a Perfect Game... There are several bowling games in the App Store...none is in the same league as Action Bowling, from Kronos Games. It’s about as close to real bowling as you’re going to get on the iPhone and iPod touch. - AppCraver.com ************************************* Action Bowling is the best and most feature packed bowling game on iOS. It is the only bowling game in the App Store that features : • 10 outrageous bowling locations • 72 unique custom bowling balls • State-of-the-art 3D physics engine for real pin action • Explosive ball-on-pin collisions. • Professional straight, curve and hook shots. • Pass and Play Mode so you can bowl against 3 friends • Practice mode so you can set up a custom rack to practice knocking down those tricky splits • Detailed stats tracking • Bowling alley, bowling ball and pins built according to PBA regulation specifications • Stunning 3D graphics • Full music tracks and robust sound effects

About

PBA® Bowling Challenge

Compete against professional bowlers in realistic 3D matches, from local alleys to national championships. Master your skills in career mode or challenge friends in real-time multiplayer. Unlock new balls and face legendary opponents.

Highlights
  • Career mode
  • Real-time multiplayer
  • Compete against 24 PBA bowlers
  • Over 100 bowling balls
  • Dozens of PBA tournaments
  • Leaderboards and achievements
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Rise through the ranks against 24 of the PBA’s best bowlers as you compete for a variety of regional and national championship trophies. Starting in a local alley with a scuffed up 12 lb ball, you’ll hone your skills against bowling legends on your way to competing in the Tournament of Champions! Start a career or bowl a quick game! Career mode is at the heart of PBA Bowling Challenge, but if you’d rather just lace up and take to the lanes, we’ve got you covered. Choose from a wide variety of opponents and locations and unlock even more content in Career Mode! Online Multiplayer Action! Bowl against your friends in real-time, one-on-one multiplayer matches! Powered by Game Center services, multiplayer mode lets you invite your friends or get matched against a random opponent! Bowl against the best! How do you think you’d fare against the cool confidence and pin-point accuracy of Walter Ray Williams, Jr. or the brash power stroke of Pete Weber? How would your scores stand up against the high spin and smooth release of Norm Duke or the high cranking backswing of Tommy Jones? Based on actual statistics that track their power, hook, and control, PBA Bowling Challenge strives to accurately recreate the skill and style of the top bowlers in the sport today. Features Include: - Quickplay, Multiplayer, and Career modes! - Dozens of PBA Tournaments! - Bowl against 24 of the best PBA bowlers! - Over 100 different bowling balls with unique stats! - Leaderboards and Achievements. - Bonus challenges in every tournament! - Split Balls, Bomb Balls, and more!

Screenshots

Action Bowling Classic3 screens
PBA® Bowling Challenge4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: PBA® Bowling Challenge at 4.7 against Action Bowling Classic's 3.1. PBA® Bowling Challenge also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (131K vs 161). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Action Bowling Classic sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and PBA® Bowling Challenge sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

PBA® Bowling Challenge holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PBA® Bowling Challenge has 131K ratings behind it against 161, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 41% of Action Bowling Classic's written reviews are positive against 61% of PBA® Bowling Challenge's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Action Bowling Classic ships an update every 3 months, PBA® Bowling Challenge fortnightly. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Action Bowling Classic versus PBA® Bowling Challenge: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAction Bowling ClassicPBA® Bowling Challenge
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.1 (161 ratings)4.7 (131K ratings) — better
Positive reviews41.2% of reviews61.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings161131K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#124 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size372 MB144 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTribal City InteractiveConcrete Software, Inc.

Customer experience

Action Bowling Classic

All ratings150 ratings
Positive46.7%
Neutral4.7%
Negative48.7%
Written reviews323 reviews
Positive41.2%
Neutral15.8%
Negative43.0%

PBA® Bowling Challenge

All ratings130,533 ratings
Positive92.0%
Neutral4.8%
Negative3.1%
Written reviews542 reviews
Positive61.3%
Neutral10.1%
Negative28.6%

User reviews

Action Bowling Classic

From 161 App Store ratings

What we love

  • ⭐ Good game
  • 👍 Works great on iPhone
  • 🎳 Fun to play

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes
  • 🔥 Overheating issues
  • 🎳 Reduced gameplay quality
  • 💰 Excessive ads/in-app purchases

PBA® Bowling Challenge

From 131K App Store ratings

What we love

  • ⭐ Best game for stress
  • ⭐ Fun and challenging gameplay
  • ⭐ Realistic bowling experience
  • ⭐ Great graphics and sound effects
  • ⭐ Variety of venues and features

Room to improve

  • 🙄 Excessive ads and in-app purchases
  • 🤔 Tournaments feel rigged at times
  • 😒 Progression is too grindy
  • 🤯 Frequent bugs and crashes
  • 🤬 Loss of progress and saved data

Bugs and requests

Action Bowling Classic

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Random ball direction changes
  • Difficulty spikes after updates
  • Compatibility issues with newer devices

Requested features

3 requests
  • Customizable bowling balls and music
  • Trivia mode
  • Multiplayer support

PBA® Bowling Challenge

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Game freezes after watching ads
  • Progress and stats randomly reset
  • Multiplayer matchmaking issues
  • Inconsistent ball behavior and glitches

Requested features

5 requests
  • Instant replay and save clip feature
  • Point difference counter
  • One ball roll-off for tied games
  • Option to disable crowd noise
  • More realistic ball physics and behavior

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Action Bowling Classic

One-time10
  • Bowling Alley Pack$0.99
  • Custom Bowling Ball Pack$0.99
  • Multiplay Mode and Bowling Trivia$0.99
Show 7 more
  • Unlock Practice Mode$0.99
  • Custom Bowling Ball Pack 2$0.99
  • Custom Bowling Ball Pack 3$0.99
  • Custom Bowling Ball Pack 4$0.99
  • Custom Bowling Ball Pack 5$0.99
  • No Ads$1.99
  • Upgrade to Action Bowling Pro$2.99
7 purchases

PBA® Bowling Challenge

One-time7
  • Lonely Pin Pack$0.99
  • Pin Party Pack2 variants$1.99
  • Black Widow 2.0 Bundle$4.99
Show 4 more
  • Plenty of Pins Pack2 variants$4.99
  • Pile of Pins Pack2 variants$9.99
  • Pin Island Pack$14.99
  • Pin Freighter Pack$19.99

Questions

Is Action Bowling Classic free?
Action Bowling Classic is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PBA® Bowling Challenge free?
PBA® Bowling Challenge is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Action Bowling Classic or PBA® Bowling Challenge?
PBA® Bowling Challenge is rated higher. Action Bowling Classic averages 3.1 out of 5 from 161 ratings, while PBA® Bowling Challenge averages 4.7 from 131K ratings.
Do Action Bowling Classic or PBA® Bowling Challenge have ads?
Both Action Bowling Classic and PBA® Bowling Challenge show ads.
Which is updated more often, Action Bowling Classic or PBA® Bowling Challenge?
Action Bowling Classic ships an update every 3 months, and PBA® Bowling Challenge fortnightly. Most recently, Action Bowling Classic was updated on November 6, 2026 and PBA® Bowling Challenge on November 6, 2026.

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