Comparison

Pokémon GO vs Pokémon UNITE

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

Head to head
About

Pokémon GO

Explore your real world to discover and catch creatures. Train your companions, battle in gyms, and team up with others for epic raids. Your adventure begins as you move through your environment.

Highlights
  • Explore and discover creatures
  • Catch creatures to complete Pokédex
  • Journey with Buddy Pokémon
  • Compete in Gym battles
  • Team up for Raid Battles
  • Augmented reality gameplay
Read full description

Join Trainers across the globe who are discovering Pokémon as they explore the world around them. Pokémon GO is the global gaming sensation that has been downloaded over 1 billion times and named “Best Mobile Game” by the Game Developers Choice Awards and “Best App of the Year” by TechCrunch. _______________ UNCOVER THE WORLD OF POKÉMON: Explore and discover Pokémon wherever you are! CATCH more Pokémon to complete your Pokédex! JOURNEY alongside your Buddy Pokémon to help make your Pokémon stronger and earn rewards! COMPETE in epic Gym battles and... TEAM UP and UNITE with other Trainers to catch powerful Pokémon during Raid Battles! It’s time to get moving—your real-life adventures await! Let’s GO! _______________ With the player’s permission, Adventure Sync uses the Health app to enable the player to earn walking distance when the app is closed. Notes: - This app is free-to-play and offers in-game purchases. It is optimized for smartphones, not tablets. - It is recommended to play while connected to a network in order to obtain accurate location information. - Compatibility is not guaranteed for devices without GPS capabilities or devices that are connected only to Wi-Fi networks. - Compatibility information may be changed at any time. - Information current as of July 11, 2019. - Compatible with iPhone® 5s / SE / 6 / 6s / 6 Plus / 6s Plus / 7 / 7 Plus / 8 / 8 Plus / X devices with iOS Version 9 or later installed. - Not compatible with 5th generation iPod Touch devices or iPhone 5c or earlier iPhone devices. - Please visit PokemonGO.com for additional compatibility information. - Compatibility is not guaranteed for all devices. - Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically reduce battery life.

About

Pokémon UNITE

Engage in 5-on-5 strategic team battles with iconic creatures. Coordinate with your team to defeat wild Pokémon, level up, and score points against opponents. Utilize unique moves and communication tools to achieve victory.

Highlights
  • 5v5 strategic team battles
  • Level up and evolve Pokémon
  • Score points against opponents
  • Unique Unite Moves
  • Ranked matches and leaderboards
  • In-game communication tools
  • Cross-platform play
Read full description

Team up and take down the opposition in Pokémon’s first 5-on-5 strategic team battle game! Join Trainers from around the world as they head for Aeos Island to compete in Unite Battles! In Unite Battles, Trainers face off in 5-on-5 team battles to see who can score the most points within the allotted time. Teamwork is key as you and your teammates defeat wild Pokémon, level up, evolve your own Pokémon, and work to prevent the opposing team from scoring points. Put your teamwork to the test, and take home the win! Key Features: • BATTLE IN STYLE: Take to the field while looking your best in Holowear! Thanks to a special technology developed using Aeos energy, Trainers can deck out their Pokémon in a variety of holographic outfits—with new styles arriving regularly! • UNITE MOVES: Unleash the true power of your Pokémon with Unite Moves! Leverage these all-new Pokémon moves, which are only possible while in Unite Battles, and turn the tide of even the direst situations. • RANK UP: Looking to prove how skilled you are? Participate in ranked matches, and earn points as you climb up the global leaderboard! • COMMUNICATION IS KEY: Even the most-skilled Trainers recognize how important communication is to their team’s success. Leverage signals, quick-chat messages, and—for the first time in a Pokémon title—voice chat to communicate and stay in sync with your team. • CROSS-PLATFORM PLAY: Challenge Trainers from around the world to Unite Battles on the Nintendo Switch™ system or on a compatible mobile device thanks to cross-platform support. Trainers may use their Pokémon Trainer Club account or Nintendo Account on both Nintendo Switch and mobile to easily keep their progress synced between devices. Check out the official website for more information, and follow Pokémon UNITE on X (formerly Twitter) for all the latest news. ------------------------------------------------------------ Official Website: http://PokemonUNITE.com/ Official X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/PokemonUNITE/ Terms of Use: https://www.apppokemon.com/pokemon-unite/kiyaku/kiyaku003/rule/detail/#anchor_en Legal: • This is a free-to-start game; optional in-game purchases available. Data charges may apply. • An internet connection is required to play the game.

Screenshots

Pokémon GO4 screens
Pokémon UNITE4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Pokémon UNITE at 4.7 against Pokémon GO's 4.0. Pokémon UNITE also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). Pokémon GO's advantage is update cadence (every 6 days vs every 3 months) and chart position (#1 vs #98). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Pokémon GO sells 21 one-off in-app purchases and Pokémon UNITE sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Pokémon UNITE holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 653K and 207K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 44% of Pokémon GO's written reviews are positive against 50% of Pokémon UNITE's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pokémon GO ships an update every 6 days, Pokémon UNITE every 3 months. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Pokémon GO versus Pokémon UNITE: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPokémon GOPokémon UNITE
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (653K ratings)4.7 (207K ratings) — better
Positive reviews43.8% of reviews49.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings653K — better207K
Update frequencyEvery 6 days — betterEvery 3 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#1 — better#98
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size404 MB1.2 GB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperScopely Explore, Inc.The Pokemon Company

Customer experience

Pokémon GO

All ratings653,270 ratings
Positive73.8%
Neutral5.6%
Negative20.6%
Written reviews8,042 reviews
Positive43.8%
Neutral9.9%
Negative46.3%

Pokémon UNITE

All ratings206,641 ratings
Positive93.7%
Neutral2.1%
Negative4.2%
Written reviews3,971 reviews
Positive49.9%
Neutral9.9%
Negative40.1%

User reviews

Pokémon GO

From 653K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Addictive and fun gameplay
  • 👍 Encourages outdoor activity
  • 🚀 Frequent updates and new content
  • 👍 Brings people together
  • 🚀 Innovative AR features

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
  • 🔋 Drains battery quickly
  • 🔒 Privacy concerns with data collection
  • 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
  • 🚫 Inaccessible for rural/disabled players

Pokémon UNITE

From 207K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Addictive gameplay
  • 🎨 Great graphics and visuals
  • 👍 Fun and engaging for Pokémon fans
  • 🤝 Enjoyable when playing with friends

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent disconnections and lag issues
  • ⚖️ Unbalanced matchmaking and team compositions
  • 💰 Overly expensive cosmetic items
  • 🤖 Too many bots and inactive players in matches
  • 🗣️ Lack of communication options with teammates

Bugs and requests

Pokémon GO

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • GPS/location issues causing gameplay problems
  • Bugs with egg hatching and buddy Pokémon
  • Inconsistent performance across devices
  • Glitches with raid battles and rewards

Requested features

5 requests
  • In-game chat/communication system
  • Ability to trade items between players
  • More customization options for avatars
  • Improved tracking and spawn system
  • Easier access to rare/legendary Pokémon

Pokémon UNITE

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashing and freezing issues on mobile devices
  • Certain Pokémon abilities being bugged or overpowered
  • Fair play point system penalizing players unfairly

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more Pokémon characters to the roster
  • Improve the ranking and matchmaking system
  • Implement a better system to earn in-game currency
  • Allow more customization options for Pokémon
  • Add voice chat or better communication tools

In-app purchases

21 purchases

Pokémon GO

One-time21
  • 100 PokéCoins$0.99
  • Event Bonus$0.99
  • Small Box$1.99
Show 18 more
  • Evergreen Ticket 1$1.99
  • Event Ticket3 variants$1.99
  • Event Ticket5 variants$4.99
  • 550 PokéCoins$4.99
  • Ticket$4.99
  • Event Ticket$7.99
  • 1,200 PokéCoins$9.99
  • Event Pass Deluxe Plus Points$9.99
  • Finale Pass$14.99
  • Event Pass Deluxe$14.99
  • GO Fest Ticket$14.99
  • Finale Pass Plus Points$19.99
  • GO Pass Deluxe$19.99
  • 2,500 PokéCoins$19.99
  • Event Pass Deluxe Plus Points$19.99
  • GO Pass Deluxe Plus Points$24.99
  • 5,200 PokéCoins$39.99
  • 14,500 PokéCoins$99.99
13 purchases

Pokémon UNITE

Subscriptions2
  • UNITE Club membership$9.991 Month
  • UNITE Club membership1 Month trial$9.991 Month
One-time11
  • 60 Aeos gems$0.99
  • 199 Aeos gems$0.99
  • 150 Aeos gems$0.99
Show 8 more
  • 575 Aeos gems$0.99
  • 245 Aeos gems$3.99
  • 599 Aeos gems$3.99
  • 490 Aeos gems$7.99
  • 1,220 Aeos gems$19.99
  • 3000 Aeos gems$34.99
  • 3,050 Aeos gems$49.99
  • 6,000 Aeos gems$99.99

Questions

Is Pokémon GO free?
Pokémon GO is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pokémon UNITE free?
Pokémon UNITE is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Pokémon GO or Pokémon UNITE?
Pokémon UNITE is rated higher. Pokémon GO averages 4.0 out of 5 from 653K ratings, while Pokémon UNITE averages 4.7 from 207K ratings.
Do Pokémon GO or Pokémon UNITE have ads?
Pokémon GO shows ads; Pokémon UNITE does not.
Which is updated more often, Pokémon GO or Pokémon UNITE?
Pokémon GO ships an update every 6 days, and Pokémon UNITE every 3 months. Most recently, Pokémon GO was updated on September 24, 2026 and Pokémon UNITE on September 24, 2026.
Which is more popular, Pokémon GO or Pokémon UNITE?
Pokémon GO currently peaks at #1 in the App Store charts, and Pokémon UNITE at #98. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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