# Hearthstone vs The Arena Draft

Hearthstone and The Arena Draft both sit at 4.1 stars, but that hides the real split: 36% of Hearthstone's written reviews are positive against 0% of The Arena Draft's. Hearthstone also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (122K vs 8). The Arena Draft's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 32) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hearthstone sells 21 one-off in-app purchases. The Arena Draft asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.1 for Hearthstone against 4.1 for The Arena Draft. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hearthstone has 122K ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 36% of Hearthstone's written reviews are positive against 0% of The Arena Draft's.

Hearthstone ships an update fortnightly, The Arena Draft every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hearthstone | The Arena Draft |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (122K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hearthstone/id625257520/reviews) | [4.1 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-arena-draft/id1278756625/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **122K** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | **35.7% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#35** | — |
| Size | 889 MB | 195 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/306862900) | [Robert Burton](https://appshunter.io/developer/974511728) |

## What reviewers say

### Hearthstone

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

**Currently charting:** #35 Top Grossing · Card, #47 Top Grossing · Strategy, #200 Top Grossing · Games, #202 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


### The Arena Draft

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-arena-draft/id1278756625)

Practice building Hearthstone Arena decks and save them to import into the game. Easily share your creations with friends for friendly battles. This companion tool is completely free and ad-free.

**Highlights:** Draft Arena decks, Save decks, Import decks into Hearthstone, Play with friends, Free to use, No ads

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hearthstone free?

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

### Is The Arena Draft free?

The Arena Draft is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Hearthstone or The Arena Draft?

Hearthstone and The Arena Draft are both rated 4.1 out of 5 on the App Store, from 122K and 8 ratings respectively.

### Do Hearthstone or The Arena Draft have ads?

Neither Hearthstone nor The Arena Draft shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hearthstone or The Arena Draft?

Hearthstone ships an update fortnightly, and The Arena Draft every 4 months. Most recently, Hearthstone was updated on October 17, 2026 and The Arena Draft on October 12, 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.*