# Hardwood Spades vs The Spades

Hardwood Spades and The Spades both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 81% of Hardwood Spades's written reviews are positive against 47% of The Spades's. The Spades's advantage is ratings volume (8.2K vs 949). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hardwood Spades sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and The Spades sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Hardwood Spades against 4.6 for The Spades. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Spades has 8.2K ratings behind it against 949, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 81% of Hardwood Spades's written reviews are positive against 47% of The Spades's.

Hardwood Spades ships an update every 2 months, The Spades every 4 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hardwood Spades | The Spades |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (949 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hardwood-spades/id897713434/reviews)** | [4.6 (8.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-spades/id929909607/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 949 | **8.2K** |
| Positive reviews | **81.2% of reviews** | 46.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 110 MB | 116 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Silver Creek Entertainment](https://appshunter.io/developer/493710735) | [UNBALANCE Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/358617691) |

## What reviewers say

### Hardwood Spades

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hardwood-spades/id897713434)

Play the classic card game of Spades solo or online with thousands of players worldwide. Enjoy excellent graphics, soothing environments, and various game modes. Tutorials are available for new players.

**Highlights:** Play solo or online multiplayer, Multiple Spades game variations, Excellent graphics and soothing environments, How to play tutorials, Post winnings to Facebook, Optional subscriptions for more features

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

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Plus Membership | $4.99 | per month |
| 1 Month Plus Membership | $4.99 | per month |
| Plus Membership | $14.99 | per 3 months |
| Plus Membership | $29.99 | per year |
| 12 Month Plus Membership | $29.99 | per year |
| Pack of 80 Tokens | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pack of 165 Tokens | $1.99 | one-time |
| Plus Membership | $2.99 | one-time |
| Pack of 425 Tokens | $4.99 | one-time |
| 1 Month Plus Membership | $4.99 | one-time |
| Plus Membership | $4.99 | one-time |
| Pack of 865 Tokens | $9.99 | one-time |
| Plus Membership | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and addictive game
- 🎨 Great graphics and visuals
- 🕹️ Engaging gameplay
- 🕰️ Relaxing and calming experience
- 🌐 Ability to play with real people online

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional server disconnections
- 🤖 Issues with AI partner bidding and play
- 🤬 Toxic player behavior and harassment
- 💰 Complaints about subscription model
- 🔍 Difficulty finding consistent games

**Reported bugs**

- Scoring issues and incorrect point calculations
- Crashes and freezes, especially on older devices
- Inconsistent card dealing and distribution
- Glitches with card swapping and bidding

**Requested features**

- Add reporting system for toxic players
- Improve AI partner bidding and strategy
- Introduce a timer or faster gameplay option
- Allow customization of game settings
- Provide more offline/single-player modes


### The Spades

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-spades/id929909607)

Experience the classic 4-player contract trick-taking card game on iOS. Enjoy smooth gameplay, scalable difficulty, and track your performance against 18 AI opponents. Customize your partnerships and challenge yourself to beat them all.

**Highlights:** Full Spades partnership play, 18 CPU characters with varying skill, Choose partners and opponents, Undo play and hint facility, Save player statistics, Customizable graphics and sound

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ad | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Enjoyable game
- 👍 Good entertainment
- 🕹️ Relaxing gameplay
- 🧠 Improves gameplay skills

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 Too many ads
- 🤖 Biased AI partners
- 🤔 Inconsistent partner behavior
- 🧠 Questionable AI decision-making

**Reported bugs**

- Game freezes and crashes
- Scoring issues and discrepancies
- Undo feature locked behind ads

**Requested features**

- Option to customize game rules
- Ability to lead with spades
- More balanced AI partners
- Add-free version


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hardwood Spades free?

Hardwood Spades is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is The Spades free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Hardwood Spades or The Spades?

Hardwood Spades is rated higher. Hardwood Spades averages 4.7 out of 5 from 949 ratings, while The Spades averages 4.6 from 8.2K ratings.

### Do Hardwood Spades or The Spades have ads?

Both Hardwood Spades and The Spades show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hardwood Spades or The Spades?

Hardwood Spades ships an update every 2 months, and The Spades every 4 months. Most recently, Hardwood Spades was updated on October 24, 2026 and The Spades on October 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.*