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.
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.
- 10 bowling locations
- 72 custom bowling balls
- 3D physics engine
- Professional shot types
- Pass and Play multiplayer
- Practice mode
- Detailed stats tracking
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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
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.
- Career mode
- Real-time multiplayer
- Compete against 24 PBA bowlers
- Over 100 bowling balls
- Dozens of PBA tournaments
- Leaderboards and achievements
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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
Verdict
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
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.
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.
Action Bowling Classic ships an update every 3 months, PBA® Bowling Challenge fortnightly. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.
| Parameter | Action Bowling Classic | PBA® Bowling Challenge |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.1 (161 ratings) | 4.7 (131K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 41.2% of reviews | 61.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 161 | 131K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | #124 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 372 MB | 144 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Tribal City Interactive | Concrete Software, Inc. |
Customer experience
Action Bowling Classic
PBA® Bowling Challenge
User reviews
Action Bowling Classic
From 161 App Store ratingsWhat 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 ratingsWhat 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
Action Bowling Classic
- Bowling Alley Pack$0.99
- Custom Bowling Ball Pack$0.99
- Multiplay Mode and Bowling Trivia$0.99
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- 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
PBA® Bowling Challenge
- Lonely Pin Pack$0.99
- Pin Party Pack2 variants$1.99
- Black Widow 2.0 Bundle$4.99
Show 4 moreShow fewer
- 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?
Is PBA® Bowling Challenge free?
Which has better reviews, Action Bowling Classic or PBA® Bowling Challenge?
Do Action Bowling Classic or PBA® Bowling Challenge have ads?
Which is updated more often, Action Bowling Classic or PBA® Bowling Challenge?
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