# Ark Nova vs Big Five Spotter

The clearest difference is price: Big Five Spotter at Free against Ark Nova's $10.99. Big Five Spotter also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs fortnightly) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Ark Nova's advantage is chart position (#30 vs unranked). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Big Five Spotter is free to download; Ark Nova costs $10.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Ark Nova ships an update fortnightly, Big Five Spotter every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ark Nova | Big Five Spotter |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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 | 72.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Best chart rank | **#30** | — |
| Size | 682 MB | 18 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dire Wolf Digital](https://appshunter.io/developer/815343758) | [Anders Lövbrand](https://appshunter.io/developer/1515012739) |

## What reviewers say

### Ark Nova

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

**Currently charting:** #30 Top Paid · Board, #97 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


### Big Five Spotter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/big-five-spotter/id6759096942)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ark Nova free?

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

### Is Big Five Spotter free?

Big Five Spotter is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Ark Nova or Big Five Spotter have ads?

Neither Ark Nova nor Big Five Spotter shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Ark Nova or Big Five Spotter?

Ark Nova ships an update fortnightly, and Big Five Spotter every 4 days. Most recently, Ark Nova was updated on October 19, 2026 and Big Five Spotter on October 7, 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.*