# Decked Drafter vs Slay the Spire

The clearest difference is price: Decked Drafter at Free against Slay the Spire's $9.99. Decked Drafter also leads on iOS requirement (8.0 vs 12.0). Slay the Spire's advantage is rating (4.3 vs 2.6) and in-app purchases (none vs 10). On review sentiment, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Decked Drafter is free to download; Slay the Spire costs $9.99 up front. Decked Drafter sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Slay the Spire asks for nothing beyond the download.

Slay the Spire holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 2.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Slay the Spire has 3.2K ratings behind it against 17, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 59% of Decked Drafter's written reviews are positive against 61% of Slay the Spire's.

Decked Drafter ships an update monthly, Slay the Spire every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Decked Drafter | Slay the Spire |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $9.99 |
| Rating | [2.6 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/decked-drafter/id433341409/reviews) | **[4.3 (3.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/slay-the-spire/id1491530147/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 17 | **3.2K** |
| Positive reviews | 59.3% of reviews | **61.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#3** |
| Size | 28 MB | 890 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [TJ Soft](https://appshunter.io/developer/393180447) | [Balor Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896756778) |

## What reviewers say

### Decked Drafter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/decked-drafter/id433341409)

Practice Magic: The Gathering draft and sealed deck skills with a full simulator. Get expert strategy tips, card ratings, and AI opponents to hone your deck-building abilities. Test your creations and improve your game.

**Highlights:** Draft simulator against AI opponents, Expert card ratings and strategy tips, Practice with various Magic expansions, Deck building and testing tools, Card sorting by color, type, and rarity, View card prices from TCGplayer.com

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mirrodin Besieged Set | $1.99 | one-time |
| New Phyrexia Set | $1.99 | one-time |
| Magic 2012 Set | $1.99 | one-time |
| Innistrad Set | $2.99 | one-time |
| Magic 2013 Set | $2.99 | one-time |
| Return to Ravnica Set | $2.99 | one-time |
| Gatecrash Set | $2.99 | one-time |
| Magic 2014 Set | $2.99 | one-time |
| Theros Set | $2.99 | one-time |
| Shadows over Innistrad Set | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Clean and intuitive user interface
- 📚 Expert card ratings and commentary from experienced players
- 🎮 Effective practice tool for improving drafting skills
- ⚡ Works offline without requiring WiFi
- 🤖 Functional AI drafting opponents

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive per-set pricing ($2.99-$5.99 each)
- ⏱️ Slow updates for new set releases
- 🤖 AI drafts unrealistically, ignoring color signals
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- ❌ Missing card art and image loading problems

**Reported bugs**

- Card art fails to load, showing only card backs
- Database update stuck at version 78
- App crashes when adding lands to decks
- Crashes when clicking feedback button
- In-app purchases not delivering purchased content

**Requested features**

- 4-pack sealed draft mode
- Multiplayer drafting with human opponents
- Locally stored card database and collection system
- Ability to save and review drafted decks
- Landscape mode support


### Slay the Spire

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/slay-the-spire/id1491530147)

**Currently charting:** #3 Top Paid · Card, #4 Top Paid · Role Playing, #15 Top Paid · Games, #24 Top Paid, #169 Top Grossing · Card (US App Store)

Build a unique deck of cards to battle through a constantly changing dungeon. Discover powerful relics and encounter bizarre creatures as you climb the Spire. Strategize your card choices to defeat enemies and reach the top.

**Highlights:** Dynamic deck building, Hundreds of cards to discover, Ever-changing Spire layout, Procedurally generated paths, Powerful relics to find, Unique card synergies

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great game
- 🚀 Addictive gameplay
- 💎 Excellent value
- 🎨 Beautiful art style
- 🔥 Highly replayable

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and bugs
- 🤔 Clunky controls
- 📱 UI not optimized for mobile
- 🔍 Small text and hard to read
- 🔀 No cross-save between devices

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes during boss battles
- Inability to end turn
- Glitched card unlocks
- Sync/loading issues
- Audio problems

**Requested features**

- Controller support
- Larger text and UI elements
- Improved card selection mechanics
- Cloud save/sync across devices
- 60fps mode for newer devices


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Decked Drafter free?

Decked Drafter is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Slay the Spire free?

Slay the Spire costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Decked Drafter or Slay the Spire?

Slay the Spire is rated higher. Decked Drafter averages 2.6 out of 5 from 17 ratings, while Slay the Spire averages 4.3 from 3.2K ratings.

### Do Decked Drafter or Slay the Spire have ads?

Neither Decked Drafter nor Slay the Spire shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Decked Drafter or Slay the Spire?

Decked Drafter ships an update monthly, and Slay the Spire every 2 months. Most recently, Decked Drafter was updated on October 21, 2026 and Slay the Spire on October 26, 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.*