# Star Realms vs Spendee

The clearest difference is rating: Star Realms at 4.6 against Spendee's 3.0. Star Realms also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (57% vs 22%). Spendee's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 12) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Star Realms sells 12 one-off in-app purchases. Spendee asks for nothing beyond the download.

Star Realms holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Star Realms has 4.4K ratings behind it against 42, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 57% of Star Realms's written reviews are positive against 22% of Spendee's.

Star Realms ships an update every 2 weeks, Spendee every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Star Realms | Spendee |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (4.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/star-realms/id893447125/reviews)** | [3.0 (42 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spendee/id999392046/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **4.4K** | 42 |
| Positive reviews | **56.5% of reviews** | 22.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 470 MB | 20 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [White Wizard Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/893447128) | [HiuKim Yuen](https://appshunter.io/developer/952439369) |

## 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


### Spendee

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spendee/id999392046)

Experience a digital adaptation of a popular card game, featuring online multiplayer against human opponents and AI. Track your progress with detailed statistics and engage with other players in chatrooms. Internet connectivity is required to play.

**Highlights:** Online Human vs Human matches, AI Player opponents, Ratings, Rankings, and Statistics, In-game Chatrooms, Timers for matches, Discussion Board

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Star Realms free?

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

### Is Spendee free?

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

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

Star Realms is rated higher. Star Realms averages 4.6 out of 5 from 4.4K ratings, while Spendee averages 3.0 from 42 ratings.

### Do Star Realms or Spendee have ads?

Spendee shows ads; Star Realms does not.

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

Star Realms ships an update every 2 weeks, and Spendee every 5 months. Most recently, Star Realms was updated on September 25, 2026 and Spendee on September 9, 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.*