Comparison

PAC vs Pac.io

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

PAC

Navigate an endless maze, munching dots and avoiding ghosts. Outsmart a glitching world with over 15 unique power-ups. Experience a classic arcade adventure reimagined for mobile.

Highlights
  • Endless maze gameplay
  • Over 15 power-ups
  • Avoid the Glitch
  • New ghost characters
  • Controller support
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

** Apple Best Games of 2015 ** ** Facebook The 10 Most Talked About Games of 2015 ** ** The Game Awards 2015 Nominated Best Mobile/Handheld Game ** From the creators of Crossy Road… Cherries are red Ghosts are blue Munch a power pellet Get Lasers too! PAC-MAN 256 is the maze that never ends. But the Glitch is coming for you… ------------------------------- FEATURES: ● PAC-MAN perfectly reinvented for your mobile phone or tablet ● Outsmart ghosts with over 15 ridiculous power ups: Laser, Tornado, Giant and much more ● Stay ahead of the super-villain lurking in PAC-MAN since the beginning: The Glitch ● Take on a new gang of revived retro-ghosts including Sue, Funky, and Spunky ● Waka waka on PAC-DOTS and string a 256 combo for a super special surprise ● Controller support Like us: facebook.com/CrossyRoad facebook.com/Pacman facebook.com/BandaiNamcoEU facebook.com/BandaiNamcoVancouver Follow us: @CrossyRoad @BandaiNamcoEU @BandaiNamcoCA @3sprockets Have any problems or suggestions? You can reach us at support-pacman256@bandainamcoent.eu. *iPhone 4 devices are not supported

About

Pac.io

Engage in an addictive grid-battle by swiping to outsmart opponents and dominate the arena. Utilize a variety of power-ups and unlock unique skins to enhance your gameplay and rise through the ranks. Enjoy endless fun offline or online with intuitive controls.

Highlights
  • Swipe controls for movement
  • Strategic power-ups
  • Unlockable skins
  • Offline and online play
  • Intuitive gameplay
Features
Read full description

Pac.io – Swipe, Power Up, and Dominate the Grid! Dive into the ultimate io grid-battle! Swipe in four directions, outsmart your opponents, and become the King of the grid. Every move counts—strategize, dodge, and strike to stay on top! Unleash Epic Power-Ups Turn the tide of battle with incredible power-ups: Bomb, Ghost, 5x Multiplier, Magnet, Sword, Thunder, Freeze, Laser, and Speed Up. Eat bigger players, escape tricky situations, and crush your enemies with style. Use them wisely—power waits for no one! Unlock Legendary Skins Show off your legendary skins as you rise through the ranks. Each skin makes you look epic and adds extra flair while you dominate the battlefield. Game Highlights • Play anywhere—offline or online, anytime. • Smooth, intuitive swipe controls for lightning-fast moves. • Easy to learn, impossible to put down. • FREE to play with endless battles, power-ups, and epic fun! Swipe, power up, and conquer—become the ultimate legend in Pac.io!

Screenshots

PAC4 screens
Pac.io4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: PAC at 4.7 against Pac.io's 4.1. PAC also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (88% vs 54%). Pac.io's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 weeks). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. PAC sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Pac.io sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

PAC holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PAC has 22K ratings behind it against 342, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 88% of PAC's written reviews are positive against 54% of Pac.io's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PAC ships an update every 6 weeks, Pac.io fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
PAC versus Pac.io: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPACPac.io
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (22K ratings) — better4.1 (342 ratings)
Positive reviews88.0% of reviews — better53.9% of reviews
Number of ratings22K — better342
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#208 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.013.0
Further details — not scored
Size153 MB139 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperBANDAI NAMCO Entertainment EuropeNomadic Bear Games

Customer experience

PAC

All ratings20,510 ratings
Positive92.2%
Neutral3.5%
Negative4.3%
Written reviews2,104 reviews
Positive88.0%
Neutral4.0%
Negative7.9%

Pac.io

All ratings297 ratings
Positive78.5%
Neutral4.7%
Negative16.8%
Written reviews89 reviews
Positive53.9%
Neutral10.1%
Negative36.0%

User reviews

PAC

From 22K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Fun, easy way to kill time
  • 👍 Amazing gameplay
  • 🚀 No pop up ads while having fun
  • 👍 Classic gameplay with a twist
  • 👍 Great mobile support

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Glitchy controls
  • 🔋 Repetitive after a while
  • 💰 Expensive themes and upgrades
  • 🔋 Ads can be intrusive
  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches (e.g. invisible Twinado power-up)

Pac.io

From 342 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 😍 Highly addictive and engaging gameplay
  • 🎮 Fun Pac-Man inspired mechanics
  • 👥 Real multiplayer players (not just bots)
  • ⚡ Fast-paced and entertaining
  • 🏆 Leaderboard and competitive features

Room to improve

  • 📺 Excessive ads throughout gameplay
  • ⚠️ Ads interrupt and crash the game
  • 😤 Unfair difficulty and instant death
  • 🎮 Sliding controls instead of D-pad/joystick
  • 🤖 Questionable AI behavior and cheating

Bugs and requests

PAC

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Game resets on phone calls or notifications
  • Ads don't work properly
  • Inability to pause and resume without losing progress
  • Incompatibility with newer devices
  • Glitches with 256-dot chains and power-up timers

Requested features

12 requests
  • Multiplayer mode
  • More themes and customization options
  • Gradually increasing difficulty
  • More power-ups
  • More frequent power-up spawns
Show 7 more
  • Boss battles
  • Bonus coin rewards for iOS/Android
  • More fruit options
  • Dodge-able objects
  • Beam power-up on iOS/Android
  • More game modes
  • Map editor

Pac.io

Reported bugs

7 issues
  • Ads crash game at end of video
  • Game freezes after ad completion
  • Pink screen ad that cannot be closed
  • Instant death upon spawning
  • Players getting stuck behind walls
Show 2 more
  • Power pellet duration inconsistencies
  • Game glitching and crashing frequently

Requested features

9 requests
  • Arrow buttons or D-pad controls instead of sliding
  • Ad-free premium version for purchase
  • Ability to disable ads with WiFi off
  • Friend list and private room creation
  • Real player names instead of randomized ones
Show 4 more
  • Grace period or invincibility after spawn
  • Sound effects and audio
  • New items, levels, and game updates
  • Revert to original 2024 version

In-app purchases

10 purchases

PAC

One-time10
  • Credit Boost$0.99
  • Classic 80's Theme$0.99
  • The Grid Theme$0.99
Show 7 more
  • Welcome Pack$0.99
  • Robotz Theme$0.99
  • CEDX Theme$0.99
  • PAC-MANIA Theme$0.99
  • The Arcade$0.99
  • Unlimited Credits$4.99
  • Coin Doubler$4.99
10 purchases

Pac.io

One-time10
  • Small Coin Pack$0.99
  • Medium Coin Pack$4.99
  • Magnet$4.99
Show 7 more
  • Thunder$4.99
  • Sword$4.99
  • Big Coin Pack$9.99
  • No Ads$9.99
  • Large Coin Pack$19.99
  • Huge Coin Pack$49.99
  • Massive Coin Pack$99.99

Questions

Is PAC free?
PAC is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pac.io free?
Pac.io is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, PAC or Pac.io?
PAC is rated higher. PAC averages 4.7 out of 5 from 22K ratings, while Pac.io averages 4.1 from 342 ratings.
Do PAC or Pac.io have ads?
Pac.io shows ads; PAC does not.
Which is updated more often, PAC or Pac.io?
PAC ships an update every 6 weeks, and Pac.io fortnightly. Most recently, PAC was updated on November 8, 2026 and Pac.io on November 6, 2026.

Other comparisons