# Initial Drop vs Cardex

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Initial Drop at none against Cardex's 3. Cardex's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Cardex sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Initial Drop asks for nothing beyond the download.

Initial Drop ships an update every 3 months, Cardex every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Initial Drop | Cardex |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 days** |
| Size | 4 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kuan-Chung Chiu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1211164406) | [Samuel Silva](https://appshunter.io/developer/6784142809) |

## What reviewers say

### Initial Drop

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/initial-drop/id6759520396)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Cardex

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cardex-spot-and-collect/id6784142807)

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Yearly CARDEX+ | $24.99 | per year |
| CARDEX+ Lifetime | $59.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Initial Drop free?

Initial Drop is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Cardex free?

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

### Do Initial Drop or Cardex have ads?

Neither Initial Drop nor Cardex shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Initial Drop or Cardex?

Initial Drop ships an update every 3 months, and Cardex every 2 days. Most recently, Initial Drop was updated on October 31, 2026 and Cardex 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.*