Comparison

Hearthstone vs KARDS

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

KARDS

Engage in strategic card battles set during World War II. Command historical nations and utilize innovative mechanics inspired by real battlefield tactics. Earn all cards through gameplay, missions, and achievements.

Highlights
  • World War II theme
  • Collectible card game (CCG) gameplay
  • Innovative frontline mechanics
  • Real battlefield tactics
  • Ground, air, and sea warfare
  • Multiple playable nations
Read full description

Card Game meets World War II KARDS, The WW2 Card Game, combines traditional CCG gameplay with innovative mechanics inspired by classic strategy games and real battlefield tactics. Take command and challenge other players in grand-scale warfare on the ground, air, or seas. KARDS is completely free to play with all features available from the start. You can earn all cards through regular gameplay, daily missions and an extensive achievement system. KARDS blends familiar trading card gameplay that make it easy to learn and are combined with innovative mechanics that provide strategic depth and tactical diversity. Innovative frontline mechanics allows you to better protect your support assets and take the battle to your enemy. Rush your enemies with Blitzkrieg tactics, gain air superiority or dig in for bitter defensive warfare until you outproduce and outgun your enemies WW2 nations in KARDS: BRITAIN - Lords of the skies and the oceans The vast empire was caught off guard when the WW2 broke out, but adapted quickly to new types of warfare. With their formidable fleet, advanced aircraft and incredible stubbornness, the British forces never gave an inch without a fight. USA - Outproduce, outgun and bring hell from the skies Although joining the WW2 later than the other major powers, the USA had been preparing their production lines and supporting their allies for years. Completely outproducing their Axis enemies, the Americans were eventually able to launch offensive operations of epic proportions in all theaters. THE SOVIET UNION - The mighty red army At the outbreak of WW2, although large on paper, the forces of the Soviet Union were badly equipped, trained and organized. This would change fast. Forged through fire and blood during the Great Patriotic War, the Red Army would soon become the mightiest war machine the world had ever seen. JAPAN - Sunrise in the east Completely underestimated by the Allies in the WW2, the Japanese Imperial Army and Navy swept across South-Asia and the Pacific in a lightning war of their own. Initially the Japanese had complete air superiority in the area and a fearsome navy which included the heaviest battleships ever constructed. GERMANY - Pioneers of blitzkrieg Crushing their enemies with Blitzkrieg tactics, hard pressing armoured units and mechanised formations, the German Wehrmacht was at its best on the offensive in WW2. Battle of annihilation would be their favourite doctrine. Compared to the Allies, Germany did not have a lot of ships but in the depths of the oceans roamed fearsome packs of wolves... ready to strike at the their prey. FRANCE / The flame of the French resistance Before WW2 many believed that the French had the most powerful military in Europe, but they were not prepared for the German Blitzkrieg advance. Although defeated, they did not give up the fight. The Free French Forces continued the fight against the Axis on foreign soil while The French Resistance disrupted and demoralised the German occupation forces at home. ITALY - Restoration of the Roman empire While not ready for a long lasting conflict at the outbreak of the WW2, Italy tried to seize the opportunity believing that the British Empire was about to collapse from the German offensive. With ambitions to restore Italy to the status of the old Roman Empire, the Italian forces were concentrated on major offensives in the Africa and the Middle East. POLAND - Fight from exile! Before and during WW2, Polish intelligence gathering and crypto-analysis experts contributed significantly to cracking the famous Enigma code. Their exiled forces fought fiercely during the Battle of Britain and other campaigns alongside their allies in WW2-Europe.IGRS Rating 13+

Screenshots

Hearthstone4 screens
KARDS4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: KARDS at 76% against Hearthstone's 36%. KARDS also leads on rating (4.5 vs 4.1). Hearthstone's advantage is ratings volume (122K vs 6.9K) and chart position (#47 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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 KARDS sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

KARDS 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 6.9K, 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 76% of KARDS's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hearthstone ships an update fortnightly, KARDS every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Hearthstone versus KARDS: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHearthstoneKARDS
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (122K ratings)4.5 (6.9K ratings) — better
Positive reviews35.9% of reviews76.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings122K — better6.9K
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#47 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size855 MB1.3 GB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperBlizzard Entertainment, Inc.1939 Games ehf

Customer experience

Hearthstone

All ratings121,573 ratings
Positive78.5%
Neutral3.3%
Negative18.2%
Written reviews4,725 reviews
Positive35.9%
Neutral9.1%
Negative54.9%

KARDS

All ratings6,868 ratings
Positive87.7%
Neutral2.4%
Negative9.9%
Written reviews1,884 reviews
Positive76.4%
Neutral4.4%
Negative19.2%

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

KARDS

From 6.9K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Smooth gameplay
  • 🎨 Excellent art and visuals
  • 🎮 Engaging and strategic gameplay
  • 📚 Informative historical details
  • 🎶 Immersive soundtrack

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
  • 🤖 Unbalanced matchmaking
  • 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
  • ⏱️ Slow progression for free players
  • 🤯 Frustrating meta decks

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

KARDS

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Disconnects during matches
  • Inability to move cards during turn
  • Incorrect card behavior or interactions

Requested features

6 requests
  • More game modes and content
  • Improved matchmaking system
  • Ability to replay tutorial missions
  • More ways to earn in-game currency
  • Chat functionality with opponents
Show 1 more
  • Expanded faction and card selection

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
10 purchases

KARDS

One-time10
  • Welcome Offer$1.99
  • Supply Drop$2.69
  • Bunch of Diamonds$4.99
Show 7 more
  • Starter Pack$4.99
  • Box of Diamonds$9.99
  • Battle Pass$11.99
  • Pouch of Diamonds$19.99
  • Cup of Diamonds$34.99
  • Helmet of Diamonds$49.99
  • Crate of Diamonds$99.99

Questions

Is Hearthstone free?
Hearthstone is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is KARDS free?
KARDS is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Hearthstone or KARDS?
KARDS is rated higher. Hearthstone averages 4.1 out of 5 from 122K ratings, while KARDS averages 4.5 from 6.9K ratings.
Do Hearthstone or KARDS have ads?
Neither Hearthstone nor KARDS shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Hearthstone or KARDS?
Hearthstone ships an update fortnightly, and KARDS every 2 weeks. Most recently, Hearthstone was updated on September 24, 2026 and KARDS on September 24, 2026.

Other comparisons