# RollerCoaster Tycoon® Classic vs Sid Meier’s Railroads!

The clearest difference is price: Sid Meier’s Railroads! at Free against RollerCoaster Tycoon® Classic's $5.99. Sid Meier’s Railroads! also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.2). RollerCoaster Tycoon® Classic's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 months) and chart position (#23 vs unranked). On review sentiment, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Sid Meier’s Railroads! is free to download; RollerCoaster Tycoon® Classic costs $5.99 up front. RollerCoaster Tycoon® Classic sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Sid Meier’s Railroads! sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Sid Meier’s Railroads! holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3.3K and 1.4K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 67% of RollerCoaster Tycoon® Classic's written reviews are positive against 59% of Sid Meier’s Railroads!'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

RollerCoaster Tycoon® Classic ships an update fortnightly, Sid Meier’s Railroads! every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | RollerCoaster Tycoon® Classic | Sid Meier’s Railroads! |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $5.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.2 (3.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rollercoaster-tycoon-classic/id1113736426/reviews) | **[4.7 (1.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sid-meiers-railroads/id1449719281/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3.3K** | 1.4K |
| Positive reviews | **66.6% of reviews** | 59.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#23** | — |
| Size | 374 MB | 1.6 GB |
| Requires iOS | **13** | 15.5 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Atari](https://appshunter.io/developer/291286181) | [Feral Interactive Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/402470125) |

## What reviewers say

### RollerCoaster Tycoon® Classic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rollercoaster-tycoon-classic/id1113736426)

**Currently charting:** #23 Top Paid · Strategy, #28 Top Paid · Simulation, #68 Top Paid · Games, #107 Top Paid (US App Store)

Build and manage your dream theme park with this classic simulation game. Design incredible roller coasters, create diverse rides, and manage finances and staff to keep guests happy and the park profitable. Enjoy hundreds of content options and challenging scenarios.

**Highlights:** Combine best features from RCT 1 & 2, Design and build roller coasters, Create diverse rides and attractions, Manage park finances and staff, Customize park scenery and landscaping, Progress through classic park scenarios

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Expansion Pack - Wacky Worlds | $1.99 | one-time |
| Expansion Pack - Time Twister | $1.99 | one-time |
| Toolkit: Edit, Design and Share | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Faithful to the original PC game
- 👍 Intuitive touch controls
- 💡 Includes both RCT1 and RCT2 content
- 🎢 Brings back childhood memories

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 🔍 Small UI elements on smaller screens
- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases for additional content
- 🚫 Unable to set park admission fees

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to delete or modify certain ride elements
- Mechanic staff getting stuck or not functioning properly
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between apps

**Requested features**

- Sandbox mode with unlimited customization
- Ability to sync progress across devices
- Improved graphics and visual fidelity
- Support for more languages


### Sid Meier’s Railroads!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sid-meiers-railroads/id1449719281)

Become a railroad tycoon by building and managing intricate railway networks. Optimize routes, transport goods and passengers, and grow your profits through shrewd business decisions and innovation. Compete with historical figures to become the greatest rail baron.

**Highlights:** Lay tracks and design routes, Transport freight and passengers, Acquire patents and trade stocks, Build or buy industries, Compete with historical figures, Collect 40 famous trains, Train Table Mode for creative building

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Game Unlock | $12.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great game
- 👍 Faithful port of original
- 🎮 Enjoyable gameplay
- 🎨 Beautiful graphics
- 🕰️ Hours of replay value

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes
- 🔋 Battery draining issues
- 🕹️ Fiddly track laying controls
- 🤖 Subpar AI opponents
- 💰 Expensive for a mobile game

**Reported bugs**

- Disappearing tracks
- Routing issues and inability to connect stations
- Map freezing and becoming unresponsive

**Requested features**

- Larger maps
- More scenarios and campaigns
- Multiplayer mode
- Ability to buy/sell shares
- More train and engine variety


## Frequently asked questions

### Is RollerCoaster Tycoon® Classic free?

RollerCoaster Tycoon® Classic costs $5.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Sid Meier’s Railroads! free?

Sid Meier’s Railroads! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, RollerCoaster Tycoon® Classic or Sid Meier’s Railroads!?

Sid Meier’s Railroads! is rated higher. RollerCoaster Tycoon® Classic averages 4.2 out of 5 from 3.3K ratings, while Sid Meier’s Railroads! averages 4.7 from 1.4K ratings.

### Do RollerCoaster Tycoon® Classic or Sid Meier’s Railroads! have ads?

Neither RollerCoaster Tycoon® Classic nor Sid Meier’s Railroads! shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, RollerCoaster Tycoon® Classic or Sid Meier’s Railroads!?

RollerCoaster Tycoon® Classic ships an update fortnightly, and Sid Meier’s Railroads! every 5 months. Most recently, RollerCoaster Tycoon® Classic was updated on October 27, 2026 and Sid Meier’s Railroads! on October 26, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*