# Balatro vs StackJack

The clearest difference is price: StackJack at Free against Balatro's $9.99. StackJack also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 8 days). Balatro's advantage is chart position (#3 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Balatro ships an update every 8 days, StackJack every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Balatro | StackJack |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[5.0 (108K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/balatro/id6502453075/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **108K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 81.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 8 days | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Best chart rank | **#3** | — |
| Size | 94 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Playstack Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1133080356) | [Corvus Consulting Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/524580334) |

## What reviewers say

### Balatro

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

**Currently charting:** #3 Top Paid · Card, #3 Top Paid · Strategy, #8 Top Paid · Games, #13 Top Paid, #111 Top Grossing · Card, #151 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


### StackJack

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stackjack-solitaire-battle/id6800952685)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Balatro free?

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

### Is StackJack free?

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

### Do Balatro or StackJack have ads?

Neither Balatro nor StackJack shows ads.

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

Balatro ships an update every 8 days, and StackJack every 2 days. Most recently, Balatro was updated on November 4, 2026 and StackJack on October 31, 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.*