# Star Realms vs Dawncaster

The clearest difference is price: Star Realms at Free against Dawncaster's $4.99. Star Realms also leads on ratings volume (4.5K vs 929). Dawncaster's advantage is review sentiment (80% vs 57%) and chart position (#9 vs unranked). On rating, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Star Realms is free to download; Dawncaster costs $4.99 up front. Star Realms sells 12 one-off in-app purchases and Dawncaster sells 13 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Star Realms against 4.7 for Dawncaster. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4.5K and 929 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 57% of Star Realms's written reviews are positive against 80% of Dawncaster's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 10 days. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Star Realms | Dawncaster |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $4.99 |
| Rating | [4.6 (4.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/star-realms/id893447125/reviews) | **[4.7 (929 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dawncaster-deckbuilding-rpg/id1555459868/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **4.5K** | 929 |
| Positive reviews | 57.0% of reviews | **80.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | Every 10 days |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#9** |
| Size | 509 MB | 1.4 GB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [White Wizard Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/893447128) | [Rick van der Wal](https://appshunter.io/developer/1534294329) |

## 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


### Dawncaster

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dawncaster-deckbuilding-rpg/id1555459868)

**Currently charting:** #9 Top Paid · Card, #18 Top Paid · Role Playing, #147 Top Paid · Games (US App Store)

Embark on a tactical deck-building adventure with over 900 illustrated cards. Explore a mysterious world, master unique class abilities, and forge your own path through a rich narrative. Enjoy a complete premium experience with no ads or microtransactions.

**Highlights:** Over 900 hand-illustrated cards, Unique class abilities, Innovative energy system, Richly illustrated world, Randomized encounters, Unlockable content

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Vaul of the Void Promo Pack | Free | one-time |
| Synthesis Support Pack | $3.99 | one-time |
| Infinitum Support Banner | $3.99 | one-time |
| Eclypse Supporter Pack | $3.99 | one-time |
| Buy the devs a coffee | $4.99 | one-time |
| Tribes of Twilight | $4.99 | one-time |
| Death of Divinity | $4.99 | one-time |
| Masks of Misery | $4.99 | one-time |
| Siege of Shadows | $4.99 | one-time |
| Dawncaster Origins Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Nexus of Nightmares | $5.99 | one-time |
| Infernal Invasions | $5.99 | one-time |
| Dawncaster Mega Bundle | $12.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Constant updates
- 🔥 Addictive gameplay loop
- 🔍 Discovering new secrets
- 💎 Excellent value for money
- 🎨 Beautiful art and visuals

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🔍 Steep learning curve
- 🔁 Repetitive enemy and boss encounters
- 🕰️ Slow progression and unlock system
- 🔧 Unbalanced difficulty spikes

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes after certain card interactions
- Incorrect card behavior or descriptions
- Progression loss after updates
- Compatibility issues on newer devices

**Requested features**

- Endless or challenge mode
- More language support (e.g. Chinese, Spanish, Russian)
- Improved tutorial and onboarding
- Ability to toggle DLC content on/off
- Checkpoints or save states during runs


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Star Realms free?

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

### Is Dawncaster free?

Dawncaster costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Star Realms or Dawncaster?

Dawncaster is rated higher. Star Realms averages 4.6 out of 5 from 4.5K ratings, while Dawncaster averages 4.7 from 929 ratings.

### Do Star Realms or Dawncaster have ads?

Neither Star Realms nor Dawncaster shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Star Realms or Dawncaster?

Star Realms ships an update every 10 days, and Dawncaster every 10 days. Most recently, Star Realms was updated on October 29, 2026 and Dawncaster on October 29, 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.*