# Star Realms vs Root Board Game

The clearest difference is price: Star Realms at Free against Root Board Game's $9.99. Root Board Game's advantage is review sentiment (77% vs 57%) and rating (4.9 vs 4.6). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Star Realms is free to download; Root Board Game costs $9.99 up front. Star Realms sells 12 one-off in-app purchases and Root Board Game sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Root Board Game holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4.5K and 5.9K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 57% of Star Realms's written reviews are positive against 77% of Root Board Game's.

Star Realms ships an update every 11 days, Root Board Game every 4 days. Both last shipped on October 26, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Star Realms | Root Board Game |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $9.99 |
| Rating | [4.6 (4.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/star-realms/id893447125/reviews) | **[4.9 (5.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/root-board-game/id1439262206/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 4.5K | **5.9K** |
| Positive reviews | 57.0% of reviews | **77.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 11 days | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#11** |
| Size | 505 MB | 505 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [White Wizard Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/893447128) | [Dire Wolf Digital](https://appshunter.io/developer/815343758) |

## What reviewers say

### Star Realms

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/star-realms/id893447125)

Engage in thrilling space combat with this popular deckbuilding game. Build your deck, outmaneuver opponents, and conquer the galaxy. Offers both single-player campaigns and multiplayer battles.

**Highlights:** Deckbuilding gameplay, Player vs Player combat, AI battles, Campaign mode, Online multiplayer, Pass and Play mode

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

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| High Alert: Invasion | $1.99 | one-time |
| Crisis: Bases and Battleships Set | $1.99 | one-time |
| Crisis: Events Set | $1.99 | one-time |
| Crisis: Heroes Set | $1.99 | one-time |
| Crisis: Fleets and Fortresses | $1.99 | one-time |
| Command | $1.99 | one-time |
| Gambit Set | $3.99 | one-time |
| Cosmic Gambit | $3.99 | one-time |
| High Alert: First Strike | $3.99 | one-time |
| Full Version | $4.99 | one-time |
| Colony Wars | $4.99 | one-time |
| Frontiers | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great game
- 👍 Excellent implementation
- 💡 Lots of content and features
- 🚀 Fast and smooth gameplay
- 👍 Challenging AI

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🐛 Issues with online play and connectivity
- 🐛 Unbalanced AI difficulty
- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
- 🐛 Confusing UI and navigation

**Reported bugs**

- Game freezes and crashes on launch
- Online games getting stuck or timing out
- Inability to scrap or play certain cards
- Incorrect card behavior and interactions

**Requested features**

- Add undo/rewind functionality
- Improve offline/single-player experience
- Implement better matchmaking and player communication
- Provide more detailed game statistics and analytics


### Root Board Game

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/root-board-game/id1439262206)

**Currently charting:** #11 Top Paid · Board, #40 Top Paid · Strategy, #112 Top Paid · Games, #179 Top Paid, #182 Top Grossing · Board (US App Store)

Experience a digital adaptation of a popular tabletop board game. Engage in strategic woodland warfare as 2 to 4 players vie for control of a vast wilderness, leading diverse factions to victory.

**Highlights:** Digital board game adaptation, Adventure and war gameplay, 2-4 player battles, Faction control mechanics, Wilderness exploration

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The Clockwork Expansion | $5.99 | one-time |
| Exiles & Partisans & Vagabonds | $7.99 | one-time |
| The Riverfolk Expansion | $9.99 | one-time |
| Root: The Underworld Expansion | $9.99 | one-time |
| Root: The Marauder Expansion | $9.99 | one-time |
| Hirelings & Landmarks | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Faithful adaptation of the board game
- 🎨 Charming visuals and animations
- 🕹️ Smooth gameplay
- 🧠 Helpful tutorials for learning the game
- 🕹️ Great way to practice and learn the game

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🕹️ AI could be improved, makes questionable decisions
- 🕹️ Lack of undo button frustrating
- 🕹️ Replaying opponent moves can be tedious
- 🕹️ Animations can be slow, need option to speed up

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes and freezes during gameplay
- Issues with async game notifications and state
- Bugs with specific faction mechanics (e.g. Vagabond)

**Requested features**

- Add undo button
- Implement option to skip/speed up opponent moves
- Include expansion factions and maps
- Add match history and player stats tracking
- Improve async game notifications and stability


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Star Realms free?

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

### Is Root Board Game free?

Root Board Game costs $9.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Star Realms or Root Board Game?

Root Board Game is rated higher. Star Realms averages 4.6 out of 5 from 4.5K ratings, while Root Board Game averages 4.9 from 5.9K ratings.

### Do Star Realms or Root Board Game have ads?

Neither Star Realms nor Root Board Game shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Star Realms or Root Board Game?

Star Realms ships an update every 11 days, and Root Board Game every 4 days. Most recently, Star Realms was updated on October 26, 2026 and Root Board Game on October 26, 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.*