Clash Royale review

Clash Royale is third because it is one of the cleanest competitive games you can install for free. You choose cards for a Battle Deck, then place them in real time to take down the enemy King and Princess towers, so skill and timing matter more than grinding. Supercell lists more than 100 cards to collect and upgrade, League and Global Tournaments, and Clans that share cards and battle in Clan Wars. The US App Store listing does not show advertising, holds a 4.6 rating from 3.9 million ratings and carries an Editors' Choice badge. Gems start at $0.99 and a Diamond Pass costs $11.99. The catch is the usual one for this genre: Supercell says some purchasable items are random, it requires a network connection, and players who never pay will upgrade cards more slowly. Parents can turn off in-app purchases in device settings, as the listing suggests. We compared documented features and published prices.

Who it is for

Competitive players who want short, skill-based online matches without ads.

Price

Free to play; gems start at $0.99 on the US App Store.

Fistful of Gems $0.99
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 10, 2026.

Key features

• Collect and upgrade 100+ cards featuring Clash troops, spells and defenses
• Real-time battles against players around the world
• League and Global Tournaments
• Clans that share cards and fight in Clan Wars
• Seasonal items such as Tower Skins and Emotes with the Season Pass

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: The App Store listing shows no advertising
• Strength: Matches are short enough for a break
• Strength: Apple Editors' Choice
• Weakness: Requires a network connection
• Weakness: Some purchasable items are random
• Weakness: Progress is slower without spending

Key facts

• App Store rating: 4.6 from 3.9M ratings
• Google Play downloads: 500M+
• Age rating: 9+
• Requires: iOS 14.0 or later
• Cards: 100+

Where it ranks

Clash Royale is No. 5 in our Best Free Game Apps verdict.