# PBA® Bowling Challenge vs Bowling Sim

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Bowling Sim at none against PBA® Bowling Challenge's 18. Bowling Sim also leads on review sentiment (80% vs 62%). PBA® Bowling Challenge's advantage is ratings volume (131K vs 444) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PBA® Bowling Challenge sells 15 one-off in-app purchases. Bowling Sim asks for nothing beyond the download.

PBA® Bowling Challenge holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PBA® Bowling Challenge has 131K ratings behind it against 444, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 62% of PBA® Bowling Challenge's written reviews are positive against 80% of Bowling Sim's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

PBA® Bowling Challenge ships an update fortnightly, Bowling Sim every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PBA® Bowling Challenge | Bowling Sim |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (131K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pba-bowling-challenge/id657459418/reviews)** | [4.5 (444 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bowling-sim/id1308372566/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **131K** | 444 |
| Positive reviews | 61.6% of reviews | **79.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Best chart rank | **#146** | — |
| Size | 143 MB | 208 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Concrete Software, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/290886370) | [Dmitriy Rytikov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1218384309) |

## What reviewers say

### PBA® Bowling Challenge

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pba-bowling-challenge/id657459418)

**Currently charting:** #146 Top Grossing · Sports (US App Store)

Compete against professional bowlers in realistic 3D matches, from local alleys to national championships. Master your skills in career mode or challenge friends in real-time multiplayer. Unlock new balls and face legendary opponents.

**Highlights:** Career mode, Real-time multiplayer, Compete against 24 PBA bowlers, Over 100 bowling balls, Dozens of PBA tournaments, Leaderboards and achievements

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (15)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lonely Pin Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pin Party Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| DNA Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Paragon Pearl Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Black Widow 3.0 Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Black Widow 2.0 Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Plenty of Pins Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Dark Side Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Hypnotize Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Weber Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Venom Shock Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Pile of Pins Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Pin Island Pack | $14.99 | one-time |
| Pin Freighter Pack | $19.99 | one-time |
| Pin Freighter Pack | $24.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐ Best game for stress
- ⭐ Fun and challenging gameplay
- ⭐ Realistic bowling experience
- ⭐ Great graphics and sound effects
- ⭐ Variety of venues and features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🙄 Excessive ads and in-app purchases
- 🤔 Tournaments feel rigged at times
- 😒 Progression is too grindy
- 🤯 Frequent bugs and crashes
- 🤬 Loss of progress and saved data

**Reported bugs**

- Game freezes after watching ads
- Progress and stats randomly reset
- Multiplayer matchmaking issues
- Inconsistent ball behavior and glitches

**Requested features**

- Instant replay and save clip feature
- Point difference counter
- One ball roll-off for tied games
- Option to disable crowd noise
- More realistic ball physics and behavior


### Bowling Sim

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bowling-sim/id1308372566)

Experience a highly realistic bowling simulation with authentic physics and oil-coated lanes. Choose from multiple game modes, including single player, local multiplayer, and AI opponents, with adjustable difficulty levels. Enjoy stunning graphics and track your progress with detailed statistics.

**Highlights:** Realistic physics engine, Multiple game modes, Adjustable difficulty levels, Hook and spin ball control, Detailed statistics tracking, 21 unlockable bowling balls, Offline play

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Realistic bowling simulation
- 🎨 Great graphics and visuals
- 🎵 Relaxing background music
- 🕹️ Intuitive and easy to play

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🛑 App no longer working after updates
- 💤 Unresponsive controls
- 🚫 Ads too intrusive

**Reported bugs**

- Ball bouncing off the alley or rolling backward
- Pins not resetting correctly after a frame
- Keyboard not appearing for player name entry

**Requested features**

- Add landscape mode for tablets
- Improve pin physics and ball behavior
- Implement more realistic scoring and pin feedback
- Provide an ad-free paid version


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PBA® Bowling Challenge free?

PBA® Bowling Challenge is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Bowling Sim free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PBA® Bowling Challenge or Bowling Sim?

PBA® Bowling Challenge is rated higher. PBA® Bowling Challenge averages 4.7 out of 5 from 131K ratings, while Bowling Sim averages 4.5 from 444 ratings.

### Do PBA® Bowling Challenge or Bowling Sim have ads?

Both PBA® Bowling Challenge and Bowling Sim show ads.

### Which is updated more often, PBA® Bowling Challenge or Bowling Sim?

PBA® Bowling Challenge ships an update fortnightly, and Bowling Sim every 2 months. Most recently, PBA® Bowling Challenge was updated on September 25, 2026 and Bowling Sim on September 18, 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.*