Comparison

Hearthstone vs Stormbound

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Hearthstone

Engage in a strategic card battle game where you collect powerful cards, build custom decks, and outwit opponents. Explore various game modes, from competitive PvP to solo adventures, all within the iconic Warcraft universe.

Highlights
  • Collectible battle cards
  • Deck building and customization
  • Strategic card battles
  • Multiple game modes (Standard, Wild, Battlegrounds)
  • PvP and PvE challenges
  • Warcraft universe integration
Read full description

Battle as legendary Warcraft heroes in Hearthstone®, Blizzard Entertainment's award-winning free-to-play* strategy card game. Build powerful decks, collect iconic cards, discover game-changing combos, and outsmart opponents in epic card battles! ONE GAME. COUNTLESS WAYS TO PLAY. Whether you're new to collectible card games (CCG) or a seasoned strategist, Hearthstone offers an experience for every kind of player. Challenge friends, test your skills against opponents from around the world, or enjoy solo adventures at your own pace. Every match is packed with opportunities to learn, experiment, and sharpen your skills. Develop strategies that fit your playstyle, craft Legendary cards, and discover new possibilities as your collection grows. Easy to learn and rewarding to master, Hearthstone offers fresh challenges with every game. Play online across mobile and PC with your Hearthstone collection and progress synced between devices. Whether you have a few minutes for a quick match or you're ready to climb the competitive ladder, your next match is always within reach. Collect. Build. Play. CLIMB TO LEGEND • Battle players from around the world in strategic online PvP duels. • Build winning decks, evolve your strategy, and climb all the way to Legend. • Earn seasonal rewards and prove your mastery every month. HONE YOUR CRAFT • Take on solo adventures, complete quests, and discover new mechanics at your own pace. • Draft a unique deck in Arena from a changing selection of cards, then test your strategy against other players. • Returning player? Wild mode lets you play with all your cards! OUTSMART RIVALS • Recruit powerful minions, build your warband, and compete against seven other players in Hearthstone's signature Battlegrounds auto-battler mode. • Adapt every turn, discover powerful synergies, and be the last player standing. • No two matches play the same. EMBRACE THE CHAOS • Jump into Tavern Brawl, where unique rules, unexpected twists, and special rewards keep every Brawl fresh. CHOOSE YOUR HERO • Battle as legendary Warcraft heroes across 11 distinct classes. • Each class features its own Hero Power, signature mechanics, and unique strategies. • Whether you prefer aggressive attacks, careful planning, or clever combos, there's a class for you. Complete quests, earn rewards, and discover new cards with every expansion. Regular balance updates, seasonal events, major expansions, and limited-time experiences keep Hearthstone fresh for newcomers and veterans alike. Experience the magic, mischief, and mayhem in this epic fantasy CCG. Battle friends, challenge online opponents, and join millions of players around the hearth. Play Hearthstone today! *In-game purchases are optional. ©/TM/® 2026 Blizzard Entertainment, Inc

About

Stormbound

Engage in strategic turn-based tactical battles by building a powerful deck of collectible cards. Outsmart opponents worldwide in real-time PVP, customize your profile, and compete for seasonal rewards.

Highlights
  • Deck building
  • Collectible cards
  • Turn-based tactical battles
  • Real-time PVP
  • Four distinct kingdoms
  • Seasonal events and rewards
  • Profile customization
Features
Read full description

Stormbound: PVP Card Battle - Where deck building for Collectible Cards and Strategic gameplay collide in unique PVP Turn-based Tactical battles. Embark on an epic journey in Stormbound, where the clash of four kingdoms unfolds in a strategic battle for dominance. Craft and build a powerful deck, engage in real-time PVP card battles against players worldwide! Ultimate Card Battle: Watch Your Deck Shine Dive into the thrill of collecting dozens of cards to craft your powerful deck! Experience the magic as each card transforms the board into the battle on a battlefield! Strategically play your cards to outsmart your opponent in this tactical card battle. Dominate the board Discover the powers of four mighty kingdoms, each with its own cool advantages and playstyles. Uncover the strengths that set them apart, and shape your effective strategy accordingly to dominate the board. Real-time PVP Card Battle Battle players across the globe in electrifying head-to-head PVP battles! Forge your path to victory through various challenges awaiting you on the game board. Unlock a bounty of valuable resources to enhance your card and deck collection. Master your deck building skills to conquer the card battle ladder. Customize your profile Unleash your emotions with fun and personalized emotes that let you truly express yourself in the heat of the PVP battle. Spice up your customized profile by choosing a cool avatar from our diverse collection, making your account uniquely yours. Battle your way to the top league Battle for seasonal ranking and great rewards, try your best in confronting diverse challenges across various card battle game modes. Upgrade your cards, master your deck building skills and tactics to conquer the battle and get to the top league. Seasonal Events Enjoy seasonal battle events and unlock special rewards, enriching your collection of cards, decks and resources. Use your collection of cards to build strategic decks tailored for seasonal battles. Claim victory in challenging battles where the worlds of strategy and collectible cards collide in tactical gameplay! Terms of Service: https://stormboundgames.com/terms

Screenshots

Hearthstone4 screens
Stormbound4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Hearthstone at none against Stormbound's shown. Hearthstone also leads on ratings volume (122K vs 9K) and chart position (#46 vs unranked). Stormbound's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 4.1) and review sentiment (64% vs 36%). On price, update cadence, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Hearthstone sells 21 one-off in-app purchases and Stormbound sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Stormbound holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hearthstone has 122K ratings behind it against 9K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 36% of Hearthstone's written reviews are positive against 64% of Stormbound's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Hearthstone versus Stormbound: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHearthstoneStormbound
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (122K ratings)4.5 (9K ratings) — better
Positive reviews35.9% of reviews63.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings122K — better9K
Update frequencyFortnightlyFortnightly
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#46 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size855 MB524 MB
Age rating12+9+
DeveloperBlizzard Entertainment, Inc.Stormbound Games

Customer experience

Hearthstone

All ratings121,744 ratings
Positive78.5%
Neutral3.3%
Negative18.2%
Written reviews4,725 reviews
Positive35.9%
Neutral9.1%
Negative54.9%

Stormbound

All ratings9,018 ratings
Positive89.7%
Neutral3.1%
Negative7.2%
Written reviews1,577 reviews
Positive63.7%
Neutral11.3%
Negative25.0%

User reviews

Hearthstone

From 122K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Smooth gameplay
  • 🎨 Stunning visuals and animations
  • 🕹️ Engaging strategic gameplay
  • 🎁 Generous free-to-play model
  • 🕰️ Endless replayability

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive to stay competitive
  • 🔁 Repetitive meta decks
  • 🎲 Excessive RNG elements
  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • 🕰️ Slow progression for free players

Stormbound

From 9K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Better than Clash Royale
  • 🔒 No ads
  • 👍 Fantastic game
  • 👍 Fun and creative cards
  • 👍 Cohesive combat

Room to improve

  • 🔒 Pay to win
  • 🐛 Unbalanced cards
  • 🐛 Unfair matchmaking
  • 🐛 Slow progression for F2P
  • 🐛 Frustrating level caps

Bugs and requests

Hearthstone

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Crashes during gameplay
  • Connectivity issues after updates
  • Reward system not working as intended
  • Unresponsive UI on certain devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Improved matchmaking system
  • More cooperative game modes
  • Ability to trade or disenchant unwanted cards
  • Reduced cost of new expansions
  • Faster gold/dust earning for free players

Stormbound

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Login/loading issues
  • Card placement bugs
  • Deck editing problems
  • Inconsistent card rotation

Requested features

7 requests
  • Offline mode
  • Clan/guild system
  • Chat functionality
  • Spectate mode
  • Leaderboard/ranking display
Show 2 more
  • More PvE content
  • Improved social features

In-app purchases

21 purchases

Hearthstone

One-time21
  • Arena Admission$1.99
  • Bundle of 2 Classic Packs$2.99
  • Welcome Bundle$4.99
Show 18 more
  • Welcome Bundle of 10 Classic Packs + Classic Legendary Card$4.99
  • 500 Runestones$4.99
  • Hero Skin2 variants$6.99
  • Bundle of 7 Grand Tournament Packs$9.99
  • Bundle of 7 Classic Packs$9.99
  • Bundle of 7 "Whispers of the Old Gods" Packs$9.99
  • Hero Skin Bundle$9.99
  • Packs Bundle$14.99
  • BG Season Pass$14.99
  • Tavern Pass5 variants$19.99
  • BG Season Pass5 variants$19.99
  • Bundle of 15 Classic Packs$19.99
  • Bundle: All 4 League of Explorers Wings$19.99
  • Packs Bundle$24.99
  • Packs Bundle$39.99
  • Bundle of 40 Classic Packs$49.99
  • Packs Bundle2 variants$59.99
  • Hero Skin Bundle2 variants$89.99
13 purchases

Stormbound

Subscriptions1
  • Premium pass$7.991 Month
One-time12
  • Daily resources$1.99
  • Daily cards$1.99
  • Welcome Pack$4.99
Show 9 more
  • Handful of Rubies$4.99
  • Premium Pass$4.99
  • Generic package 7$$6.99
  • Premium Pass$7.99
  • Shredded Journal$9.99
  • Tribal Tome$9.99
  • Bunch of Rubies$9.99
  • Weekly cards$9.99
  • Heap of Rubies$19.99

Questions

Is Hearthstone free?
Hearthstone is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Stormbound free?
Stormbound is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Hearthstone or Stormbound?
Stormbound is rated higher. Hearthstone averages 4.1 out of 5 from 122K ratings, while Stormbound averages 4.5 from 9K ratings.
Do Hearthstone or Stormbound have ads?
Stormbound shows ads; Hearthstone does not.
Which is updated more often, Hearthstone or Stormbound?
Hearthstone ships an update fortnightly, and Stormbound fortnightly. Most recently, Hearthstone was updated on September 25, 2026 and Stormbound on September 24, 2026.

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