# Doodle Bowling vs PBA® Bowling Challenge

The clearest difference is rating: PBA® Bowling Challenge at 4.7 against Doodle Bowling's 4.3. PBA® Bowling Challenge also leads on ratings volume (131K vs 331) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Doodle Bowling sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and PBA® Bowling Challenge sells 15 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 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PBA® Bowling Challenge has 131K ratings behind it against 331, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 64% of Doodle Bowling's written reviews are positive against 62% of PBA® Bowling Challenge's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Doodle Bowling ships an update every 2 months, PBA® Bowling Challenge fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on August 21, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Doodle Bowling | PBA® Bowling Challenge |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (331 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/doodle-bowling/id354065959/reviews) | **[4.7 (131K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pba-bowling-challenge/id657459418/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 331 | **131K** |
| Positive reviews | **64.2% of reviews** | 61.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#131** |
| Size | 138 MB | 143 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [GameResort LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/301101149) | [Concrete Software, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/290886370) |

## What reviewers say

### Doodle Bowling

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/doodle-bowling/id354065959)

Experience arcade-style bowling with realistic physics and a variety of unique, visually striking environments.  Master spin to avoid gutters and achieve strikes across dozens of psychedelic lanes.

**Highlights:** Realistic bowling physics, Spin control for accuracy, Dozens of psychedelic lanes, Multiple themed worlds, Strike challenges

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Unique doodle-style graphics
- 🕹️ Intuitive and responsive controls
- 🔓 No ads or in-app purchases
- 🎯 Satisfying bowling physics and gameplay
- 🔄 Ability to unlock new themes and lanes

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and glitches
- 🔍 Lack of clear progression or goals
- 🛑 Ads introduced in later updates
- 🔒 Inability to restore purchased content
- 🔁 Unlocked themes/lanes disappearing after updates

**Reported bugs**

- Strikes not always registering correctly
- Pins resetting mid-frame
- Ads causing the app to crash or redirect to the App Store
- Progress and unlocks not saving properly

**Requested features**

- Multiplayer mode (local or online)
- More diverse and customizable bowling environments
- Improved physics and pin behavior
- Leaderboards and achievements
- Ability to preview new lanes before purchase


### PBA® Bowling Challenge

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pba-bowling-challenge/id657459418)

**Currently charting:** #131 Top Grossing · Sports (US App Store)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (15)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lonely Pin Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pin Party Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| DNA Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Paragon Pearl Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Black Widow 3.0 Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Black Widow 2.0 Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Plenty of Pins Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Dark Side Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Hypnotize Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Weber Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Venom Shock Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Pile of Pins Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Pin Island Pack | $14.99 | one-time |
| Pin Freighter Pack | $19.99 | one-time |
| Pin Freighter Pack | $24.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🙄 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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Doodle Bowling free?

Doodle Bowling 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, Doodle Bowling or PBA® Bowling Challenge?

PBA® Bowling Challenge is rated higher. Doodle Bowling averages 4.3 out of 5 from 331 ratings, while PBA® Bowling Challenge averages 4.7 from 131K ratings.

### Do Doodle Bowling or PBA® Bowling Challenge have ads?

Both Doodle Bowling and PBA® Bowling Challenge show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Doodle Bowling or PBA® Bowling Challenge?

Doodle Bowling ships an update every 2 months, and PBA® Bowling Challenge fortnightly. Most recently, Doodle Bowling was updated on August 21, 2026 and PBA® Bowling Challenge on September 27, 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.*