# Spades Gold vs Shelem

The clearest difference is update cadence: Shelem at every 2 weeks against Spades Gold's every 5 months. Shelem also leads on ratings volume (27K vs 4.3K) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). Spades Gold's advantage is review sentiment (79% vs 59%). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Spades Gold sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Shelem sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Shelem holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shelem has 27K ratings behind it against 4.3K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 79% of Spades Gold's written reviews are positive against 59% of Shelem's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Spades Gold ships an update every 5 months, Shelem every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Spades Gold | Shelem |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (4.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spades-gold/id733771893/reviews) | **[4.8 (27K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelem/id930740608/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 4.3K | **27K** |
| Positive reviews | **79.2% of reviews** | 59.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 206 MB | 68 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mana Battery ApS](https://appshunter.io/developer/1855950280) | [Babak Bostan](https://appshunter.io/developer/930740607) |

## What reviewers say

### Spades Gold

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spades-gold/id733771893)

Experience a visually appealing and engaging game of Spades. Play against intelligent AI or compete with other players in multiplayer mode. Customize your game with various rules and settings.

**Highlights:** Play against AI or human players, Multiple rule variations, High resolution graphics, Tablet support, Achievements and leaderboards, Customizable game settings

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| All content and no advertisements. | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast gameplay
- 👍 Customizable game settings
- 👍 Smooth graphics and interface
- 👍 Enjoyable spades experience
- 👍 Challenging gameplay

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitches and crashes
- 🤖 Weak AI partner performance
- 🤖 AI opponents make poor decisions
- 🔍 Lack of score history/tracking
- 💰 Intrusive ads

**Reported bugs**

- Losing game progress after crashes
- Incorrect scoring and bid calculations
- Unexpected app behavior after updates

**Requested features**

- Add joker and wild card options
- Improve AI partner strategy
- Provide score sheet/history
- Offer multiplayer/social features
- Add more game mode variations


### Shelem

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelem/id930740608)

Test your strategic thinking and memory in this challenging card game. Compete with friends online or join a league to face skilled players. Prove your worthiness for the Shelem title and enjoy hours of fun.

**Highlights:** Strategic card gameplay, Memory and reasoning skill improvement, Online multiplayer with friends, League competition, Challenging gameplay

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fantastic game
- 🤔 Challenging brain game
- 🎨 Great graphics and design
- 🎶 Soothing background music

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- 🤖 Dumb AI/computer players
- ⏱️ Short timer/time issues
- 🔌 Server/connectivity problems
- 🤯 Frustrating gameplay issues

**Reported bugs**

- Game progress not saved
- Unexpected card discarding
- Incorrect point calculations
- Unresponsive controls
- Frequent crashes and freezes

**Requested features**

- Online multiplayer mode
- Customizable timer/time settings
- Improved AI/computer player logic
- Save/resume game progress
- Detailed game rules/tutorial


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Spades Gold free?

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

### Is Shelem free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Spades Gold or Shelem?

Shelem is rated higher. Spades Gold averages 4.6 out of 5 from 4.3K ratings, while Shelem averages 4.8 from 27K ratings.

### Do Spades Gold or Shelem have ads?

Both Spades Gold and Shelem show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Spades Gold or Shelem?

Spades Gold ships an update every 5 months, and Shelem every 2 weeks. Most recently, Spades Gold was updated on September 26, 2026 and Shelem on September 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.*