# Planet Explorers vs Cardwheel

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Planet Explorers at 100% against Cardwheel's 43%. Planet Explorers also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and rating (4.0 vs 3.7). Cardwheel's advantage is ratings volume (38 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Cardwheel sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Planet Explorers asks for nothing beyond the download.

Planet Explorers holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cardwheel has 38 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Planet Explorers's written reviews are positive against 43% of Cardwheel's.

Planet Explorers ships an update every 5 days, Cardwheel every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Planet Explorers | Cardwheel |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planet-explorers/id6747460400/reviews)** | [3.7 (38 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cardwheel/id6752916305/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **38** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 42.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 8 days |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 225 MB | 101 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Quantribution LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1773550132) | [nitzan.games LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1841758350) |

## What reviewers say

### Planet Explorers

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planet-explorers/id6747460400)

Embark on AI-generated space expeditions to unique planets. Manage your crew, document discoveries, and explore offline. Requires Apple Intelligence on supported devices.

**Highlights:** AI-crafted planets, Offline exploration, Crew management, Discovery journaling, Mission generation

**In-app purchases:** none


### Cardwheel

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cardwheel/id6752916305)

A roguelite game where players spin a wheel, drop balls, and match colors to score points. Strategize with unique wheels, shop for upgrades, and overcome challenging boss encounters in this addictive, replayable experience.

**Highlights:** Spinning wheel gameplay, Color matching for scores, Unique wheel selection, Shop for jokers and card packs, Boss challenges with modifiers, Endless strategic combos

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Planet Explorers free?

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

### Is Cardwheel free?

Cardwheel is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Planet Explorers or Cardwheel?

Planet Explorers is rated higher. Planet Explorers averages 4.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Cardwheel averages 3.7 from 38 ratings.

### Do Planet Explorers or Cardwheel have ads?

Neither Planet Explorers nor Cardwheel shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Planet Explorers or Cardwheel?

Planet Explorers ships an update every 5 days, and Cardwheel every 8 days. Most recently, Planet Explorers was updated on September 24, 2026 and Cardwheel 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.*