# CBB Simulator vs Hardwood Empire

The clearest difference is ads: CBB Simulator at none against Hardwood Empire's shown. Hardwood Empire's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs fortnightly) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. CBB Simulator sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Hardwood Empire sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for CBB Simulator against 4.8 for Hardwood Empire. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 703 and 863 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of CBB Simulator's written reviews are positive against 78% of Hardwood Empire's.

CBB Simulator ships an update fortnightly, Hardwood Empire every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CBB Simulator | Hardwood Empire |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (703 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cbb-simulator/id6757019544/reviews) | **[4.8 (863 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hardwood-empire/id6760374401/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 703 | **863** |
| Positive reviews | **80.0% of reviews** | 77.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 46 MB | 49 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mani Foroughi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1840341790) | [Finn keating](https://appshunter.io/developer/1884183262) |

## What reviewers say

### CBB Simulator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cbb-simulator/id6757019544)

Build and manage your college basketball team to national championship glory. Recruit top talent, develop players, and strategize rotations. Navigate the transfer portal and customize your league for ultimate control.

**Highlights:** Recruit elite talent, Develop players and manage rotations, Navigate the transfer portal, Coach progression and skill tree, Detailed game simulation, Postseason tournament play, Custom league creation

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Checkpoint Token | $0.99 | one-time |
| 5 Checkpoint Tokens | $2.99 | one-time |
| Pro Edition | $3.99 | one-time |


### Hardwood Empire

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hardwood-empire/id6760374401)

Manage a college basketball program, from recruiting top talent to simulating seasons and chasing championships. This deep simulation offers detailed player stats and a dynasty mode spanning over 20 seasons.

**Highlights:** 365 teams across 23 conferences, Full recruiting system, Season simulation with detailed stats, Player development and career tracking, Dynasty mode for 20+ seasons, Conference tournaments and championship bracket

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads. | $3.99 | one-time |
| God Mode | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CBB Simulator free?

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

### Is Hardwood Empire free?

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

### Which has better reviews, CBB Simulator or Hardwood Empire?

Hardwood Empire is rated higher. CBB Simulator averages 4.8 out of 5 from 703 ratings, while Hardwood Empire averages 4.8 from 863 ratings.

### Do CBB Simulator or Hardwood Empire have ads?

Hardwood Empire shows ads; CBB Simulator does not.

### Which is updated more often, CBB Simulator or Hardwood Empire?

CBB Simulator ships an update fortnightly, and Hardwood Empire every 3 days. Most recently, CBB Simulator was updated on October 25, 2026 and Hardwood Empire on October 23, 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.*