# Stone Age vs Ark Nova

The clearest difference is rating: Ark Nova at 4.8 against Stone Age's 3.5. Ark Nova also leads on ratings volume (1.2K vs 24) and review sentiment (72% vs 55%). Stone Age's advantage is price ($7.99 vs $10.99) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Stone Age costs $7.99 and Ark Nova $10.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Ark Nova holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ark Nova has 1.2K ratings behind it against 24, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of Stone Age's written reviews are positive against 72% of Ark Nova's.

Stone Age ships an update fortnightly, Ark Nova every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Stone Age | Ark Nova |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$7.99** | $10.99 |
| Rating | [3.5 (24 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stone-age-digital-edition/id6445834434/reviews) | **[4.8 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ark-nova/id6449233549/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 24 | **1.2K** |
| Positive reviews | 55.2% of reviews | **72.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #176 | **#41** |
| Size | 476 MB | 682 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Acram Digital](https://appshunter.io/developer/1536417257) | [Dire Wolf Digital](https://appshunter.io/developer/815343758) |

## What reviewers say

### Stone Age

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stone-age-digital-edition/id6445834434)

**Currently charting:** #176 Top Paid · Board (US App Store)

Lead your tribe through prehistory by gathering resources, building structures, and advancing your civilization. Manage your workers and ensure they are fed to create the most advanced society.

**Highlights:** Resource gathering (wood, stone, gold), Village and building construction, Worker placement mechanics, Tribe management and feeding, Multiple AI difficulty levels, Online multiplayer modes, Replayability

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Ark Nova

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ark-nova/id6449233549)

**Currently charting:** #41 Top Paid · Board, #135 Top Paid · Strategy (US App Store)

Design and manage a modern zoo to support global conservation efforts. Build enclosures, house animals, and utilize unique cards for special abilities. Compete to create the most successful zoological establishment.

**Highlights:** Plan and design a modern zoo, Build enclosures and accommodate animals, Support global conservation projects, Utilize 255 unique cards (animals, specialists, projects), Upgrade action cards for gameplay, Increase zoo appeal and scientific reputation

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great implementation overall
- 👍 Lots of fun
- 👍 Good animations
- 👍 Choice of modes
- 👍 Clean, modern and enjoyable design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Tile placement/rotation issues on iPad
- 🐛 Building placement UI issues
- 👎 Difficult to read board state on mobile
- 👎 Lack of simultaneous view for key game info
- 👎 Cumbersome to create games with friends

**Reported bugs**

- iPad Flash exit issue
- Rewards screen being blocked by other UI elements

**Requested features**

- Option to enable larger UI buttons for modal panels
- Full screen mode
- Option to reverse zoom direction
- Improved card readability/zoom


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Stone Age free?

Stone Age costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Ark Nova free?

Ark Nova costs $10.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Stone Age or Ark Nova?

Ark Nova is rated higher. Stone Age averages 3.5 out of 5 from 24 ratings, while Ark Nova averages 4.8 from 1.2K ratings.

### Do Stone Age or Ark Nova have ads?

Neither Stone Age nor Ark Nova shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Stone Age or Ark Nova?

Stone Age ships an update fortnightly, and Ark Nova every 2 weeks. Most recently, Stone Age was updated on September 23, 2026 and Ark Nova on September 24, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Stone Age or Ark Nova?

Stone Age currently peaks at #176 in the App Store charts, and Ark Nova at #41. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*