# Star Realms vs Card Crawl

Star Realms and Card Crawl both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 81% of Card Crawl's written reviews are positive against 57% of Star Realms's. Star Realms's advantage is update cadence (every 11 days vs monthly). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Star Realms sells 12 one-off in-app purchases and Card Crawl sells 2 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 Card Crawl. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4.5K and 2.1K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 57% of Star Realms's written reviews are positive against 81% of Card Crawl's.

Star Realms ships an update every 11 days, Card Crawl monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Star Realms | Card Crawl |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (4.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/star-realms/id893447125/reviews) | **[4.7 (2.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/card-crawl/id950955524/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **4.5K** | 2.1K |
| Positive reviews | 57.0% of reviews | **80.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 11 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 505 MB | 279 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [White Wizard Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/893447128) | [Arnold Rauers](https://appshunter.io/developer/538013421) |

## 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


### Card Crawl

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/card-crawl/id950955524)

This solitaire-style game blends dungeon crawling with card mechanics. Clear dungeons by strategically using item and monster cards, managing inventory, and employing unique ability cards. Enjoy quick, engaging sessions perfect for short bursts of play.

**Highlights:** Solitaire-style gameplay, Four game modes, Dungeon deck editor, Unlockable ability-cards, Mini deck building, Game Center integration

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Challenge Season Unlock | $0.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Card Crawl | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and addictive gameplay
- 🚀 Quick and easy to play
- 💡 Unique card-based dungeon crawler concept
- 👍 Charming art style and atmosphere
- 👍 No ads or in-app purchases

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and bugs, especially on older devices
- 🔋 Can drain battery quickly
- 🔒 Difficulty restoring purchases
- 👎 Repetitive gameplay after a while
- 👎 Lack of content and progression

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when trying to access certain features
- Inability to restore purchases
- Gameplay freezes and lags on some devices

**Requested features**

- More game modes and challenges
- Ability to customize decks and characters
- Improved tutorial and instructions
- Leaderboards and social features


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Star Realms free?

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

### Is Card Crawl free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Star Realms or Card Crawl?

Card Crawl is rated higher. Star Realms averages 4.6 out of 5 from 4.5K ratings, while Card Crawl averages 4.7 from 2.1K ratings.

### Do Star Realms or Card Crawl have ads?

Neither Star Realms nor Card Crawl shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Star Realms or Card Crawl?

Star Realms ships an update every 11 days, and Card Crawl monthly. Most recently, Star Realms was updated on October 26, 2026 and Card Crawl on October 28, 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.*