# SW vs Balatro

The clearest difference is price: SW at Free against Balatro's $9.99. SW also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 81%). Balatro's advantage is update cadence (every 8 days vs every 18 months) and ratings volume (108K vs 7). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

SW is free to download; Balatro costs $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for SW against 5.0 for Balatro. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Balatro has 108K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of SW's written reviews are positive against 81% of Balatro's.

SW ships an update every 18 months, Balatro every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SW | Balatro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $9.99 |
| Rating | **[5.0 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swccg-holocron/id6473052017/reviews)** | [5.0 (108K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/balatro/id6502453075/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 7 | **108K** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 81.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 18 months | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#2** |
| Size | 36 MB | 94 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Lee Edwards](https://appshunter.io/developer/1563880816) | [Playstack Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1133080356) |

## What reviewers say

### SW

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swccg-holocron/id6473052017)

Access a comprehensive database of cards from a classic collectible card game. Search by title or use advanced natural language queries to find specific cards. This fan-made tool provides valuable resources for players and collectors.

**Highlights:** Full card database access, Search by title, Advanced natural language search, Resources for players and collectors, Fan-made companion tool

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Balatro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/balatro/id6502453075)

**Currently charting:** #2 Top Paid · Card, #4 Top Paid · Strategy, #8 Top Paid · Games, #11 Top Paid, #107 Top Grossing · Card, #152 Top Grossing · Strategy (US App Store)

This game blends poker and solitaire mechanics with unique rule-bending twists. Build powerful poker hands, discover game-changing Joker cards, and create exciting combos to defeat challenging Boss Blinds. Explore different decks and game modes for endless replayability.

**Highlights:** Poker and Solitaire hybrid gameplay, Rule-bending mechanics, Collect over 150 unique Joker cards, Create powerful combos, Campaign and challenge modes, Pixel art visuals

**Features:** Game Controller support, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Addictive gameplay
- 💎 Unique and compelling mechanics
- 👍 Easy to learn, hard to master
- 🎨 Charming pixel art and music
- 💰 Great value for money

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and save issues
- 🔍 Small text and UI elements
- 🔋 Battery draining
- 🔇 No background music support

**Reported bugs**

- Unlocks and achievements not registering properly
- Crashes and freezes on certain devices
- Joker and card interactions not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Cloud save sync across devices
- Portrait mode option
- Customizable UI and accessibility settings


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SW free?

SW is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Balatro free?

Balatro costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, SW or Balatro?

SW is rated higher. SW averages 5.0 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while Balatro averages 5.0 from 108K ratings.

### Do SW or Balatro have ads?

Neither SW nor Balatro shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SW or Balatro?

SW ships an update every 18 months, and Balatro every 8 days. Most recently, SW was updated on October 24, 2026 and Balatro on November 2, 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.*