# Hearthstone vs Stormbound

The clearest difference is ads: Hearthstone at none against Stormbound's shown. Hearthstone also leads on ratings volume (122K vs 9K) and chart position (#45 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.

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.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Hearthstone | Stormbound |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (122K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hearthstone/id625257520/reviews) | **[4.5 (9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stormbound/id1234446615/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **122K** | 9K |
| Positive reviews | 35.9% of reviews | **63.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#45** | — |
| Size | 855 MB | 524 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/306862900) | [Stormbound Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/1637121692) |

## What reviewers say

### Hearthstone

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hearthstone/id625257520)

**Currently charting:** #45 Top Grossing · Card, #57 Top Grossing · Strategy, #200 Top Free · Strategy, #204 Top Free · Card (US App Store)

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

**In-app purchases (21)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Arena Admission | $1.99 | one-time |
| Bundle of 2 Classic Packs | $2.99 | one-time |
| Welcome Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Welcome Bundle of 10 Classic Packs + Classic Legendary Card | $4.99 | one-time |
| 500 Runestones | $4.99 | one-time |
| Hero Skin | $6.99 | one-time |
| Bundle of 7 Grand Tournament Packs | $9.99 | one-time |
| Bundle of 7 Classic Packs | $9.99 | one-time |
| Bundle of 7 "Whispers of the Old Gods" Packs | $9.99 | one-time |
| Hero Skin Bundle | $9.99 | one-time |
| Packs Bundle | $14.99 | one-time |
| BG Season Pass | $14.99 | one-time |
| Tavern Pass | $19.99 | one-time |
| BG Season Pass | $19.99 | one-time |
| Bundle of 15 Classic Packs | $19.99 | one-time |
| Bundle: All 4 League of Explorers Wings | $19.99 | one-time |
| Packs Bundle | $24.99 | one-time |
| Packs Bundle | $39.99 | one-time |
| Bundle of 40 Classic Packs | $49.99 | one-time |
| Packs Bundle | $59.99 | one-time |
| Hero Skin Bundle | $89.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stormbound/id1234446615)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium pass | $7.99 | per month |
| Daily resources | $1.99 | one-time |
| Daily cards | $1.99 | one-time |
| Welcome Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Handful of Rubies | $4.99 | one-time |
| Premium Pass | $4.99 | one-time |
| Generic package 7$ | $6.99 | one-time |
| Premium Pass | $7.99 | one-time |
| Shredded Journal | $9.99 | one-time |
| Tribal Tome | $9.99 | one-time |
| Bunch of Rubies | $9.99 | one-time |
| Weekly cards | $9.99 | one-time |
| Heap of Rubies | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- Offline mode
- Clan/guild system
- Chat functionality
- Spectate mode
- Leaderboard/ranking display


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*