# Ark Nova vs Dice Mate

The clearest difference is price: Dice Mate at Free against Ark Nova's $10.99. Ark Nova's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and chart position (#25 vs unranked). On update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Dice Mate is free to download; Ark Nova costs $10.99 up front. Dice Mate sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Ark Nova asks for nothing beyond the download.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ark Nova | Dice Mate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $10.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.8 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ark-nova/id6449233549/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1.2K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 72.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Best chart rank | **#25** | — |
| Size | 682 MB | 18 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dire Wolf Digital](https://appshunter.io/developer/815343758) | [Fox Snap LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1828826830) |

## What reviewers say

### Ark Nova

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

**Currently charting:** #25 Top Paid · Board, #79 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


### Dice Mate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dice-mate/id6749469842)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Dice Mate Pro | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ark Nova free?

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

### Is Dice Mate free?

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

### Do Ark Nova or Dice Mate have ads?

Neither Ark Nova nor Dice Mate shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Ark Nova or Dice Mate?

Ark Nova ships an update fortnightly, and Dice Mate fortnightly. Most recently, Ark Nova was updated on October 14, 2026 and Dice Mate on October 13, 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.*