# Pinball HD vs Visual Pinball

The clearest difference is price: Visual Pinball at Free against Pinball HD's $1.99. Visual Pinball also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ads (none vs shown). Pinball HD's advantage is ratings volume (705 vs 75) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 26.6). On rating, review sentiment and device support there is nothing between them.

Visual Pinball is free to download; Pinball HD costs $1.99 up front. Pinball HD sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Visual Pinball asks for nothing beyond the download.

Pinball HD holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pinball HD has 705 ratings behind it against 75, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Pinball HD's written reviews are positive against 78% of Visual Pinball's.

Pinball HD ships an update every 2 months, Visual Pinball fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pinball HD | Visual Pinball |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.5 (705 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pinball-hd-classic-arcade/id363592836/reviews)** | [4.3 (75 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/visual-pinball/id6547859926/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **705** | 75 |
| Positive reviews | **80.5% of reviews** | 78.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 675 MB | 134 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 26.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | +4 | 9+ |
| Developer | [BrainVault Games, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/967022364) | [Jason Millard](https://appshunter.io/developer/1527911552) |

## What reviewers say

### Pinball HD

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pinball-hd-classic-arcade/id363592836)

Experience realistic pinball with stunning 3D graphics and authentic physics. Enjoy multiple themed tables, each with unique missions and characters, plus integrated retro mini-games. Compete for high scores locally and globally.

**Highlights:** Realistic 3D pinball simulation, Multiple themed tables (Wild West, Deep, Jungle), Integrated retro mini-games, Landscape and portrait camera modes, Realistic physics engine, Local and global high score leaderboards, Stereoscopic 3D option

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Multiball x15 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Zombie Attack Pinball | $1.99 | one-time |
| Da Vinci Pinball | $1.99 | one-time |
| Snow Pinball | $1.99 | one-time |
| Arcade Pinball | $1.99 | one-time |
| Halloween Pinball | $1.99 | one-time |
| Pirates Pinball | $1.99 | one-time |
| Red Planet Pinball | $1.99 | one-time |
| Dream Land Pinball | $1.99 | one-time |
| Slayer Pinball | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Realistic pinball experience
- 🎨 Excellent graphics and visuals
- 🕹️ Addictive and fun gameplay
- 💰 Good value for money
- 🕰️ Nostalgic and brings back memories

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and stability issues
- 🔍 Lack of developer support and updates
- 💰 Expensive for additional tables
- 🤖 Unresponsive controls and physics issues
- 🔍 Abandoned app with no new content

**Reported bugs**

- Ball gets stuck or freezes during gameplay
- Tables randomly stop working or display black screens
- Purchased tables fail to download or restore
- Incompatibility issues with newer iOS devices
- Inconsistent or unreliable ball physics

**Requested features**

- More free or affordable table options
- Improved table variety and complexity
- Better optimization for newer devices
- Responsive customer support and bug fixes
- Continued development and new content


### Visual Pinball

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/visual-pinball/id6547859926)

Experience the full virtual pinball simulator with realistic physics, lighting, and sound. This open-source app offers a redesigned interface, enhanced table management, and the complete desktop experience for mobile devices. Enjoy a vast library of tables without ads or in-app purchases.

**Highlights:** Realistic physics, lighting, and sound, Redesigned interface with Liquid Glass, Full in-game menu for graphics and controls, Support for various backglass and display types, Easy table import and management, Optimized memory usage

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Awesome way to play virtual pinball on the go
- 👍 Super easy to set up with minimal file prep time
- 👍 Insane that I can play favorite pins on just my phone
- 👍 Fantastic portable implementation of VPX
- 👍 Fun and exciting to archive the history of pinball

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔧 More ability to adjust table settings needed
- 🔧 Struggling to manage camera angle
- 🔧 No fullscreen on iPad, plunger and outlanes cropped
- 🔧 Some tables don't work or have issues

**Reported bugs**

- Tables don't load for some users
- Certain complex/intensive tables error out or run at low FPS

**Requested features**

- List of most played tables
- Ability to reposition DMD
- Option to skip startup checks for some tables
- Ability to edit table scripts on the app
- Direct link to table depository


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pinball HD free?

Pinball HD costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Visual Pinball free?

Visual Pinball is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Pinball HD or Visual Pinball?

Pinball HD is rated higher. Pinball HD averages 4.5 out of 5 from 705 ratings, while Visual Pinball averages 4.3 from 75 ratings.

### Do Pinball HD or Visual Pinball have ads?

Pinball HD shows ads; Visual Pinball does not.

### Which is updated more often, Pinball HD or Visual Pinball?

Pinball HD ships an update every 2 months, and Visual Pinball fortnightly. Most recently, Pinball HD was updated on November 10, 2026 and Visual Pinball on November 5, 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.*