# Devil Shard vs The Pinball Wizard

The clearest difference is price: The Pinball Wizard at Free against Devil Shard's $1.99. The Pinball Wizard also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 7 months) and rating (4.7 vs 4.4). Devil Shard's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (84% vs 66%). On in-app purchases, monetization model, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

The Pinball Wizard is free to download; Devil Shard costs $1.99 up front. Devil Shard sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and The Pinball Wizard sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

The Pinball Wizard holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Pinball Wizard has 1.1K ratings behind it against 45, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 84% of Devil Shard's written reviews are positive against 66% of The Pinball Wizard's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Devil Shard ships an update every 7 months, The Pinball Wizard fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Devil Shard | The Pinball Wizard |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.4 (45 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/devil-shard/id869735685/reviews) | **[4.7 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-pinball-wizard/id6478548395/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 45 | **1.1K** |
| Positive reviews | **83.7% of reviews** | 66.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 47 MB | 309 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [GUAN LING WU](https://appshunter.io/developer/517689895) | [Frosty Pop](https://appshunter.io/developer/930758677) |

## What reviewers say

### Devil Shard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/devil-shard/id869735685)

Embark on a retro-style match-3 RPG adventure to stop a war and face a great evil. Plan strategic combos, unlock powerful allies, and collect diverse equipment. Conquer numerous enemies and stages to uncover the truth and achieve a true ending.

**Highlights:** Match-3 puzzle with RPG elements, Strategic tile swapping for combos, Unlock and summon 9 incarnations, Collect and upgrade 32 equipment, Battle 37 different enemies, Complete 8 story stages and a hidden stage

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1000G | $0.99 | one-time |
| 2500G | $1.99 | one-time |
| 7500G | $4.99 | one-time |
| 17500G | $9.99 | one-time |
| 40000G | $19.99 | one-time |
| 75000G | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Addictive and engaging gameplay mechanics
- 🎨 Beautiful retro pixel art style
- 🎵 Great music and audio design
- ⚡ Simple yet challenging match-3 combat system
- 📱 Perfect for quick gaming sessions

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⚙️ Excessive grinding required for progression
- 💀 Harsh death penalty resets all character progress
- 💰 Pay-to-win mechanics and aggressive monetization
- 🎲 Heavy reliance on RNG and luck
- 😤 Unfair difficulty spikes in later dungeons

**Reported bugs**

- Item selection scroll problem on iPhone 6s Plus (items display in middle of screen)
- Unable to equip, melt, or forge items on certain devices
- In-app purchase functionality broken
- Character equipment not persisting correctly
- No undo option for melted items

**Requested features**

- Swipeable match-3 controls (standard for genre)
- More customization options for character progression
- Persistent progress or checkpoints upon death
- Better equipment distribution and tile spawning
- Reduced grinding requirements


### The Pinball Wizard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-pinball-wizard/id6478548395)

Experience a unique blend of classic pinball physics and modern roguelite progression. Control a wizard as the ball, navigating dungeon-like tower floors, mastering flippers, and battling enemies. Collect upgrades and perks to enhance your abilities for each subsequent run.

**Highlights:** Classic pinball physics, Roguelite progression system, Handcrafted tower tables, Pattern-driven boss battles, Perks and upgrades, Quick and deep mastery sessions

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Gift | $0.99 | one-time |
| Gift | $1.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $2.99 | one-time |
| Gift | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Fun and engaging gameplay
- 👍 Intuitive and responsive controls
- 🎨 Charming and polished visuals
- 💰 No ads or in-app purchases
- 🕹️ Unique RPG-like pinball mechanics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🕹️ Unresponsive or awkward controls
- 🕰️ Short main campaign length
- 🤕 Difficulty spikes and unfair enemy encounters

**Reported bugs**

- Stuck on loading screen
- Freezing when upgrading skills
- Inconsistent damage and enemy behavior

**Requested features**

- More levels and content
- Expanded character customization
- Landscape mode support
- Improved enemy and level design


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Devil Shard free?

Devil Shard costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is The Pinball Wizard free?

The Pinball Wizard is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Devil Shard or The Pinball Wizard?

The Pinball Wizard is rated higher. Devil Shard averages 4.4 out of 5 from 45 ratings, while The Pinball Wizard averages 4.7 from 1.1K ratings.

### Do Devil Shard or The Pinball Wizard have ads?

The Pinball Wizard shows ads; Devil Shard does not.

### Which is updated more often, Devil Shard or The Pinball Wizard?

Devil Shard ships an update every 7 months, and The Pinball Wizard fortnightly. Most recently, Devil Shard was updated on September 25, 2026 and The Pinball Wizard on September 24, 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.*