# Headlong vs Cardwheel

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Headlong at none against Cardwheel's 1. Headlong also leads on review sentiment (75% vs 43%) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). Cardwheel's advantage is update cadence (every 8 days vs every 14 months) and ratings volume (38 vs 6). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Cardwheel sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Headlong asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 3.7 for Headlong against 3.7 for Cardwheel. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cardwheel has 38 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 75% of Headlong's written reviews are positive against 43% of Cardwheel's.

Headlong ships an update every 14 months, Cardwheel every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Headlong | Cardwheel |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.7 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/headlong/id847714102/reviews) | [3.7 (38 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cardwheel/id6752916305/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 6 | **38** |
| Positive reviews | **75.0% of reviews** | 42.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 14 months | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 10 MB | 101 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kiss The Machine](https://appshunter.io/developer/284926403) | [nitzan.games LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1841758350) |

## What reviewers say

### Headlong

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/headlong/id847714102)

Hurtle through a vibrant space tunnel, rotating it to guide a bouncing ball. Collect discs for time and speed boosts in this physics-based action game. Master precise controls to reach checkpoints before time runs out.

**Highlights:** Physics-based gameplay, Tunnel rotation control, Time and speed boosts, Checkpoint races, Addictive gameplay loop

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Cardwheel

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cardwheel/id6752916305)

A roguelite game where players spin a wheel, drop balls, and match colors to score points. Strategize with unique wheels, shop for upgrades, and overcome challenging boss encounters in this addictive, replayable experience.

**Highlights:** Spinning wheel gameplay, Color matching for scores, Unique wheel selection, Shop for jokers and card packs, Boss challenges with modifiers, Endless strategic combos

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Headlong free?

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

### Is Cardwheel free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Headlong or Cardwheel?

Headlong and Cardwheel are both rated 3.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 6 and 38 ratings respectively.

### Do Headlong or Cardwheel have ads?

Neither Headlong nor Cardwheel shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Headlong or Cardwheel?

Headlong ships an update every 14 months, and Cardwheel every 8 days. Most recently, Headlong was updated on October 6, 2026 and Cardwheel on September 18, 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.*