Comparison

GameShard vs ReleaseQuest

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

GameShard

This app helps you manage your game backlog by tracking playtime, predicting completion times, and suggesting what to play next based on your mood and available time. It offers detailed stats and a personalized year-end review of your gaming habits.

Highlights
  • Backlog management with custom shelves
  • Automatic Steam playtime sync
  • Play Next game suggestions by mood
  • Backlog completion time forecasting
  • One-tap session timer
  • Free home screen widget
  • Annual gaming year-in-review
Features
Read full description

GameShard is the backlog tracker that knows how you actually play. It times your sessions, keeps your Steam playtime in sync, and tells you when you'll clear your backlog at your real pace. Can't decide what to play tonight? Pick a mood and how much time you've got, and Play Next picks a game from your backlog. WHAT TO PLAY NEXT · Pick a mood (chill, challenge, story, mindless fun) and how long you've got · Play Next suggests a game from your backlog, not a random store page · Average completion times for every game KNOWS HOW YOU PLAY · One-tap session timer, or log past play time by hand · Steam playtime syncs by itself, no button to press · Backlog forecast: "At your pace, you'll clear your backlog in 2 years 4 months." Share it if you dare · Free home screen widget with a live timer and your progress toward finishing the game · Achievements for streaks, finishing games and clearing your backlog YOUR 2026 WRAPPED, FREE · Every December: your hours, top games, busiest month, longest streak and your player type · Swipe through it like a story, then share the card IMPORT IN SECONDS · Connect Steam and import your library with real playtime · Or tap the popular games you've played, and search millions of titles from IGDB YOUR LIBRARY, YOUR WAY · Shelves: Playing, Backlog, Wishlist, Finished, Dropped · Rate games, rate a whole Steam import in one go, and add notes · Sort by playtime, rating or name, and filter by platform or genre · Get a reminder the day a game on your Wishlist comes out · Share cards with your rating and hours, free for everyone PRIVATE BY DESIGN · No account. Your library stays on your phone · Back up to Files and restore on a new phone, free. Export to CSV too · No ads. No tracking GAMESHARD PREMIUM · Full play history: total hours, sessions and a per-game time ranking · Deep stats: hours by week, month and year, streaks, activity heatmap, completion speed, drop rate · Year in Review · Premium achievements tied to your play habits · Medium and large widgets with your week, streak and shelf counts · Make it yours: Midnight theme, compact and grid layouts, rename shelves Monthly or yearly subscription. Cancel anytime in Settings. Game data provided by IGDB. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://dv1sual.github.io/GameShelf/privacy-policy.html

About

ReleaseQuest

Features
Read full description

Never miss the next release. ReleaseQuest helps Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 players discover upcoming games, organise their collections, connect with friends, and keep track of confirmed release dates. Choose the consoles and genres you care about, then explore a personalised feed of upcoming and recently released games. View release dates, countdowns, descriptions, Metacritic scores, HowLongToBeat estimates, trailers, and more, all in one place. Features include: - Follow Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, or both - Discover games based on your favourite genres - Browse upcoming and recently released games - Search the wider game catalogue - View release details, countdowns, scores, completion times, and trailers - Organise games into Wishlist, Playing, Ongoing, Backlog, Completed, Dropped, or Archived - See confirmed Wishlist dates in your personal release calendar - Add releases to your device calendar - Use the home-screen release calendar widget - Review delays and date updates in the Release Change Inbox - Receive a personalised Weekly Quest with recommendations, reminders, and backlog suggestions - Follow favourite publishers, developers, and franchises - Mark games as Not Interested to fine-tune your discovery feeds - Use Surprise Me to choose a game from your filtered feed - Create custom tags and automatic smart lists - Pin favourite games to the top of My Lists - Record personal notes and owned editions - Keep a private play journal with session times, ratings, and notes - Prepare for launch day with release-readiness checklists - Hide titles, artwork, and details with Spoiler Free Countdown - Explore private statistics about your gaming habits - Set completion goals and earn profile progress for gaming milestones - Export and import your game lists between devices Create an optional ReleaseQuest Account to: - Sign in with Apple or Google - Create and personalise your ReleaseQuest profile - Find and add friends - Recommend games to your friends - View friends’ shared Wishlists and what they are currently playing - Choose whether your library and activity are visible to friends - Keep supported account data available across your devices ReleaseQuest has all this and much more, with no subscription required. An account is optional, and the app’s core game-tracking features can be used without one. Private notes, journals, and insights remain stored and processed on your device. ReleaseQuest is an independent, third-party release tracker and companion app for the Nintendo Switch family of consoles. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Nintendo.

Screenshots

GameShard4 screens
ReleaseQuest4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ReleaseQuest at none against GameShard's 2. ReleaseQuest also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. GameShard sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. ReleaseQuest asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

GameShard ships an update every 2 weeks, ReleaseQuest every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
GameShard versus ReleaseQuest: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGameShardReleaseQuest
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size26 MB19 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLUCA MANZONIAARON CLIFFORD DOE

In-app purchases

2 purchases

GameShard

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly$14.991 Year
None

ReleaseQuest

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is GameShard free?
GameShard is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ReleaseQuest free?
ReleaseQuest is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do GameShard or ReleaseQuest have ads?
Neither GameShard nor ReleaseQuest shows ads.
Which is updated more often, GameShard or ReleaseQuest?
GameShard ships an update every 2 weeks, and ReleaseQuest every 4 days. Most recently, GameShard was updated on October 31, 2026 and ReleaseQuest on November 10, 2026.

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