Balatro is the better app overall, scoring 9.2 to 8.5. Balatro wins on 4 of the 5 scores, Chess.com on 1.
Card game fans who love building combos and chasing high scores
Players at any level who want games, lessons and coaching in one place
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Balatro | Chess.com |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Card & Board Games | Card & Board Games |
| Category rank | #1 of 8 | #5 of 8 |
| Developer | LocalThunk / Playstack | Chess.com |
| Pricing | Paid | Free + paid plans |
| Usable for free | No | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mac | ✓ | — |
| Windows | ✓ | — |
| Web | — | ✓ |
Common questions
Is Balatro better than Chess.com?
Balatro is the better app overall, scoring 9.2 to 8.5. Balatro wins on 4 of the 5 scores, Chess.com on 1.
Which is cheaper, Balatro or Chess.com?
Balatro: $9.99 once on iOS and Android, no in-app purchases; Balatro+ is on Apple Arcade. Chess.com: Free to play unlimited games; Gold, Platinum and Diamond memberships unlock more. On value for money, Balatro scores higher.
Do Balatro and Chess.com work on the same devices?
Only Balatro runs on Windows, Mac. Only Chess.com runs on Web.
Which is more private, Balatro or Chess.com?
Balatro scores higher on privacy (8.2/10). App Store label: identifiers may be used to track you, but no data is linked to you. The Apple Arcade edition, Balatro+, lists no data collected.
Strengths and weaknesses
Balatro
- Every run plays out differently
- Pay once: no ads and no in-app purchases
- Controls feel built for touch, not ported
- The big 1.1 content update still has no release date
- Bad luck can sink a promising run
Balatro takes the poker hands you already know and turns them into a roguelike you'll keep coming back to. You build hands to beat each blind, then bend the rules with more than 150 Jokers, so every run becomes a different combo puzzle. The controls are remastered for touch, and it's a single price with no ads or upsells. Your only real risk is losing whole evenings to one more run.
Full Balatro review
Chess.com
- A huge player pool means quick matches at any level
- Bots, puzzles and lessons for every skill level
- Offline play against the computer
- Unlimited Game Review and lessons need a membership
- Ads for free users, plus tracking on the App Store label
Chess.com is the biggest chess app for a reason. You can play unlimited games against people at any time control, take on more than 100 bots, solve puzzles and work through lessons, and recent updates keep adding fresh bots and coaching. Free play is generous, but the best tools, like unlimited Game Review, sit behind a membership, and free users see ads. It's the most complete place to get better at chess.
Full Chess.com review
