# Gambit vs Payback Arcade

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Payback Arcade at 100% against Gambit's 54%. Payback Arcade also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.4) and in-app purchases (none vs 2). Gambit's advantage is ratings volume (135 vs 4). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Gambit sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month. Payback Arcade asks for nothing beyond the download.

Payback Arcade holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Gambit has 135 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 54% of Gambit's written reviews are positive against 100% of Payback Arcade's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Gambit | Payback Arcade |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (135 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gambit-play-and-learn-poker/id6758732164/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/payback-arcade/id6762797497/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **135** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 53.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 68 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Chess.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/329218552) | [Great Guy Games, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1895016605) |

## What reviewers say

### Gambit

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gambit-play-and-learn-poker/id6758732164)

Learn and play Texas Hold'em poker without real money. Features a virtual coach, offline play against bots, and online multiplayer with friends. Compete in daily tournaments and track your progress on global leaderboards.

**Highlights:** Virtual poker coach, Offline play against bots, Online multiplayer with friends, Daily tournaments, Hand review feature, Global leaderboards

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| All-in Membership | $8.99 | per month |
| All-in Membership | $59.99 | per year |


### Payback Arcade

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/payback-arcade/id6762797497)

Experience a competitive card game of insults and comebacks digitally. Practice solo to master the game, then challenge others online and climb the leaderboards to prove your punchline prowess. Enjoy fast-paced card battles optimized for mobile devices.

**Highlights:** Digital card game adaptation, Solo practice mode, Online multiplayer matches, Leaderboards, Optimized for phone and iPad, Save profile and progress with Apple ID

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Gambit free?

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

### Is Payback Arcade free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Gambit or Payback Arcade?

Payback Arcade is rated higher. Gambit averages 4.4 out of 5 from 135 ratings, while Payback Arcade averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Gambit or Payback Arcade have ads?

Neither Gambit nor Payback Arcade shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Gambit or Payback Arcade?

Gambit ships an update weekly, and Payback Arcade weekly. Most recently, Gambit was updated on November 9, 2026 and Payback Arcade on November 5, 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.*