Comparison

Pokémon GO vs Pokémon Champions

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 Champions

Engage in exciting Pokémon battles against players worldwide. Choose between competitive Ranked Battles or casual matches. Collect and team up with various Pokémon, even if you're new to the series.

Highlights
  • Global trainer battles
  • Ranked and casual match modes
  • Private battles with friends
  • Collect and team up with Pokémon
  • Link with Pokémon HOME
Read full description

Enjoy Pokémon Battles on Mobile Devices! Have fun battling Pokémon with ease on your mobile device! ■ Battle Pokémon with Ease! In Pokémon Champions, you can enjoy Pokémon battles against Trainers from around the world. You can play in Ranked Battles, featuring serious matches against players across the globe, or have fun in easygoing Casual Battles. You can also battle against your family, friends, and other Trainers in Private Battles. ■ Get Pokémon for Your Team! Even if you haven’t played a Pokémon series game before, you can find Pokémon to battle alongside you in Pokémon Champions. You can also link to Pokémon HOME to team up with certain Pokémon you’ve previously befriended. Official Webpage: https://champions.pokemon.com/en-us/ Terms of Use: https://web-view.app.pokemonchampions.jp/docs/terms/index.html

Screenshots

Pokémon GO4 screens
Pokémon Champions4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Pokémon Champions at 4.8 against Pokémon GO's 4.0. Pokémon Champions also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (64% vs 44%). Pokémon GO's advantage is ratings volume (653K vs 32K) and chart position (#1 vs #9). On price, update cadence, 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 Champions sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Pokémon Champions holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pokémon GO has 653K ratings behind it against 32K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 44% of Pokémon GO's written reviews are positive against 64% of Pokémon Champions's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pokémon GO ships an update every 6 days, Pokémon Champions every 8 days. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Pokémon GO versus Pokémon Champions: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPokémon GOPokémon Champions
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (653K ratings)4.8 (32K ratings) — better
Positive reviews43.8% of reviews64.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings653K — better32K
Update frequencyEvery 6 days — betterEvery 8 days
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#1 — better#9
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size404 MB2.3 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 Champions

All ratings31,737 ratings
Positive96.7%
Neutral1.1%
Negative2.3%
Written reviews1,610 reviews
Positive64.2%
Neutral10.4%
Negative25.3%

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 Champions

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

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
3 purchases

Pokémon Champions

Subscriptions2
  • Membership (1 Month)$4.991 Month
  • Membership (12 Months)$49.991 Year
One-time1
  • Premium Battle Pass$9.99

Questions

Is Pokémon GO free?
Pokémon GO is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pokémon Champions free?
Pokémon Champions is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Pokémon GO or Pokémon Champions?
Pokémon Champions is rated higher. Pokémon GO averages 4.0 out of 5 from 653K ratings, while Pokémon Champions averages 4.8 from 32K ratings.
Do Pokémon GO or Pokémon Champions have ads?
Pokémon GO shows ads; Pokémon Champions does not.
Which is updated more often, Pokémon GO or Pokémon Champions?
Pokémon GO ships an update every 6 days, and Pokémon Champions every 8 days. Most recently, Pokémon GO was updated on September 24, 2026 and Pokémon Champions on September 24, 2026.
Which is more popular, Pokémon GO or Pokémon Champions?
Pokémon GO currently peaks at #1 in the App Store charts, and Pokémon Champions at #9. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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