# CardBal vs Afterword

The clearest difference is update cadence: Afterword at every 4 days against CardBal's every 2 weeks. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

CardBal ships an update every 2 weeks, Afterword every 4 days. Both last shipped on October 25, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | CardBal | Afterword |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 4 days** |
| Size | 51 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kitta Co.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896674871) | [Beijing Black & White Network Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1743535104) |

## What reviewers say

### CardBal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cardbal-transit-card-reader/id6760978958)

**In-app purchases:** none


### Afterword

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/afterword-future-letters/id6763976721)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CardBal free?

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

### Is Afterword free?

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

### Do CardBal or Afterword have ads?

Neither CardBal nor Afterword shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, CardBal or Afterword?

CardBal ships an update every 2 weeks, and Afterword every 4 days. Most recently, CardBal was updated on October 25, 2026 and Afterword on October 25, 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.*