# PointsBall Academy vs SmashStarter

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SmashStarter at none against PointsBall Academy's 1. SmashStarter also leads on device support (3 vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PointsBall Academy sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. SmashStarter asks for nothing beyond the download.

PointsBall Academy ships an update every 3 weeks, SmashStarter every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PointsBall Academy | SmashStarter |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 5 weeks |
| Size | 24 MB | 180 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [CORE 4 LIFE LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896768379) | [Joachim Bruckmann](https://appshunter.io/developer/6781429837) |

## What reviewers say

### PointsBall Academy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pointsball-academy/id6770994261)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PointBet | $4.99 | per month |


### SmashStarter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smashstarter/id6781429834)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PointsBall Academy free?

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

### Is SmashStarter free?

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

### Do PointsBall Academy or SmashStarter have ads?

Neither PointsBall Academy nor SmashStarter shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PointsBall Academy or SmashStarter?

PointsBall Academy ships an update every 3 weeks, and SmashStarter every 5 weeks. Most recently, PointsBall Academy was updated on October 10, 2026 and SmashStarter on October 9, 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.*