# Run An Empire vs EcoBuilder

The clearest difference is review sentiment: EcoBuilder at 100% against Run An Empire's 46%. EcoBuilder also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ads (none vs shown). Run An Empire's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (3.5K vs 4). On price, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Run An Empire sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. EcoBuilder asks for nothing beyond the download.

Run An Empire holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Run An Empire has 3.5K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 46% of Run An Empire's written reviews are positive against 100% of EcoBuilder's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Run An Empire ships an update monthly, EcoBuilder every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Run An Empire | EcoBuilder |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (3.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/run-an-empire/id1073986257/reviews)** | [4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ecobuilder/id1512806460/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3.5K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 45.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 167 MB | 68 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Location Games Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1073986256) | [Jonathan Zheng](https://appshunter.io/developer/1511225031) |

## What reviewers say

### Run An Empire

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/run-an-empire/id1073986257)

Turn your real-world movements into a game of conquest. Capture locations, collect resources, and build an empire from ancient times to the Space Age. Compete with others, track your progress, and customize your empire.

**Highlights:** Capture real-world locations, Build and expand your empire, Track activity with GPS, Compete in leagues and battles, Collect resources and earn fortunes, Customize empire banner, Integrate with Strava and HealthKit

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The 7 Wonders | $5.99 | per month |
| Pro Yearly Subscription | $29.99 | per year |
| The 7 Wonders | $34.99 | per year |
| Low On Gems Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Handful Of Gems | $1.99 | one-time |
| Bronze Era Pack | $3.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Pile Of Gems | $4.99 | one-time |
| Stronghold Pack I | $4.99 | one-time |
| Sack Of Gems | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Motivates to go out and exercise
- ⚔️ Competitive and engaging gameplay
- 🌍 Encourages exploring new areas
- 👍 Unique concept combining fitness and strategy

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Tracking issues and GPS problems
- 💰 Subscription model and paywall concerns
- 🔁 Repetitive gameplay and lack of progression
- 🤖 Cheating and unfair advantage for some players

**Reported bugs**

- Progress and data loss issues
- Crashes and performance problems
- Syncing issues with third-party apps

**Requested features**

- Multiplayer and social features
- More customization options
- Improved tutorial and onboarding
- Integration with other fitness apps


### EcoBuilder

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ecobuilder/id1512806460)

Build and manage your own virtual ecosystem, learning about ecological principles through realistic simulations. Your gameplay can contribute to real scientific research by helping scientists understand complex environmental systems.

**Highlights:** Build virtual ecosystems, Realistic ecological simulations, Learn ecological phenomena, Contribute to scientific research, High score tracking

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Run An Empire free?

Run An Empire is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is EcoBuilder free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Run An Empire or EcoBuilder?

Run An Empire is rated higher. Run An Empire averages 4.5 out of 5 from 3.5K ratings, while EcoBuilder averages 4.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Run An Empire or EcoBuilder have ads?

Run An Empire shows ads; EcoBuilder does not.

### Which is updated more often, Run An Empire or EcoBuilder?

Run An Empire ships an update monthly, and EcoBuilder every 3 weeks. Most recently, Run An Empire was updated on October 21, 2026 and EcoBuilder 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.*