# Five in a row vs Pente Live

The clearest difference is update cadence: Pente Live at every 2 days against Five in a row's every 6 months. Five in a row's advantage is review sentiment (64% vs 50%). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Five in a row sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Pente Live sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Five in a row holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 322 and 342 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 64% of Five in a row's written reviews are positive against 50% of Pente Live's.

Five in a row ships an update every 6 months, Pente Live every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Five in a row | Pente Live |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (322 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/five-in-a-row-pentaballs/id462936390/reviews)** | [4.4 (342 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pente-live/id595426592/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 322 | **342** |
| Positive reviews | **64.3% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 3 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Oval Software Oy](https://appshunter.io/developer/1438258178) | [Walied Othman](https://appshunter.io/developer/595426595) |

## What reviewers say

### Five in a row

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/five-in-a-row-pentaballs/id462936390)

This game challenges players to connect five marbles in a row on a rotating board. After each move, a quadrant of the board can be rotated, adding a strategic twist. Compete against a friend or the AI to achieve victory.

**Highlights:** Connect 5 marbles, Rotate board quadrants, Single-player vs AI, Two-player local mode, Strategic gameplay

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ad | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and interesting strategy game
- 👍 Mentally challenging and thought-provoking
- 👍 Addictive and engaging gameplay
- 👍 Clear graphics
- 👍 Good free game

**What reviewers complain about**

- 😞 Too many ads
- 😞 In-app purchases/premium model
- 😞 AI is too smart/difficult to win against
- 😞 Glitches and bugs
- 😞 Boring for some users

**Reported bugs**

- App glitches
- Doesn't let you twist a square
- Game crashes

**Requested features**

- Remove ads and premium, unlock all modes
- Support watchOS3
- Add difficulty choices for AI
- Add Wi-Fi or Bluetooth two-player option
- Support Game Center


### Pente Live

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pente-live/id595426592)

Explore various Pente and Gomoku variants with turn-based or live online play. Challenge AI opponents, join tournaments, and study game positions. Offers unique rule sets and capture mechanics for deep strategic gameplay.

**Highlights:** Multiple Pente and Gomoku variants, Turn-based and real-time online play, Play against AI opponents, Participate in tournaments, Study game database by position, Unique capture and poof mechanics

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pente.org subscription | $4.99 | per year |
| One month subscriber benefits | $1.99 | one-time |
| 10 vacation days | $2.99 | one-time |
| Extra vacation days (30) | $4.99 | one-time |
| 60 vacation days | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great Pente app
- 👍 Good community
- 👍 Play local or online
- 👍 Excellent platform
- 👍 Many variants available

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Grid too small for fingers
- 🐛 Game play is arbitrary
- 🐛 No learning curve
- 🐛 Distracting ads
- 🐛 Difficult to read

**Reported bugs**

- Drops stone in wrong spot
- Move ends up in different position
- Changes last location
- Freezes
- Bumps out of a game

**Requested features**

- Replay button
- Landscape mode on iPad
- Slower AI response time
- Improved UI
- Take back move option


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Five in a row free?

Five in a row is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Pente Live free?

Pente Live is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Five in a row or Pente Live?

Five in a row is rated higher. Five in a row averages 4.6 out of 5 from 322 ratings, while Pente Live averages 4.4 from 342 ratings.

### Do Five in a row or Pente Live have ads?

Neither Five in a row nor Pente Live shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Five in a row or Pente Live?

Five in a row ships an update every 6 months, and Pente Live every 2 days. Most recently, Five in a row was updated on November 1, 2026 and Pente Live on November 6, 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.*