# Balatro+ vs 52

The clearest difference is monetization model: 52 at free against Balatro+'s paid. 52 also leads on review sentiment (92% vs 82%). Balatro+'s advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (63K vs 15). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Balatro+ against 4.8 for 52. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Balatro+ has 63K ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 82% of Balatro+'s written reviews are positive against 92% of 52's.

Balatro+ ships an update every 2 weeks, 52 every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and June 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Balatro+ | 52 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (63K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/balatro-plus/id6502451661/reviews)** | [4.8 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/52-cards-anytime/id6747363374/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **63K** | 15 |
| Positive reviews | 82.4% of reviews | **91.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 136 MB | 25 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.5** | 18.2 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Playstack Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1133080356) | [Justin Michael Laiti](https://appshunter.io/developer/1728679488) |

## What reviewers say

### Balatro+

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/balatro-plus/id6502451661)

This is a hypnotic card game that blends Solitaire and Poker mechanics with unique rule-bending twists. Players aim to beat challenging Boss Blinds by forming strong poker hands and discovering powerful Joker cards to create exciting combos and boost scores.

**Highlights:** Twist rules in new ways, Beat Boss Blinds with poker hands, Discover over 150 Jokers with special powers, Create awesome combos, Multiple game modes (Campaign, Challenge), Beautiful pixel art

**Features:** With Apple Arcade, Game Controller support, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Addictive gameplay
- 👍 Unique and creative spin on poker
- 🎨 Excellent visual style and music
- 💎 High replayability and depth
- 🕹️ Smooth mobile controls

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Cloud save issues and data loss
- 🔇 Disables other audio playback
- 🔍 Small UI elements and text
- 🔁 Repetitive blind tags

**Reported bugs**

- Freezing and crashing on some devices
- Unlocks and progress not tracking properly

**Requested features**

- Portrait mode option
- Ability to quickly deselect cards
- More accessibility options
- Syncing progress across devices


### 52

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/52-cards-anytime/id6747363374)

This app provides a digital deck of cards for playing various card games on your phone. It offers customizable layouts, shuffling options, and multiplayer functionality across multiple devices. Enjoy solo or group games anywhere, anytime.

**Highlights:** Digital deck of cards, Customizable layouts, Shake to shuffle, Multiplayer across devices, Private hand views, Customizable backgrounds and designs

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Balatro+ free?

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

### Is 52 free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Balatro+ or 52?

Balatro+ is rated higher. Balatro+ averages 4.9 out of 5 from 63K ratings, while 52 averages 4.8 from 15 ratings.

### Do Balatro+ or 52 have ads?

Neither Balatro+ nor 52 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Balatro+ or 52?

Balatro+ ships an update every 2 weeks, and 52 every 3 months. Most recently, Balatro+ was updated on September 24, 2026 and 52 on June 1, 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.*