# Game Dev Tycoon vs East Trade Tycoon

The clearest difference is price: East Trade Tycoon at Free against Game Dev Tycoon's $4.99. East Trade Tycoon also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). Game Dev Tycoon's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.2) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). On device support there is nothing between them.

East Trade Tycoon is free to download; Game Dev Tycoon costs $4.99 up front. East Trade Tycoon sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Game Dev Tycoon asks for nothing beyond the download.

Game Dev Tycoon holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Game Dev Tycoon has 24K ratings behind it against 115, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 91% of Game Dev Tycoon's written reviews are positive against 75% of East Trade Tycoon's.

Game Dev Tycoon ships an update every 3 months, East Trade Tycoon every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Game Dev Tycoon | East Trade Tycoon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.9 (24K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/game-dev-tycoon/id1162580001/reviews)** | [4.2 (115 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/east-trade-tycoon/id1609590125/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **24K** | 115 |
| Positive reviews | **91.1% of reviews** | 75.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#46** | — |
| Size | 204 MB | 191 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Greenheart Games Pty. Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/877999140) | [Shenzhen Jingying Network Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1592473752) |

## What reviewers say

### Game Dev Tycoon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/game-dev-tycoon/id1162580001)

**Currently charting:** #46 Top Paid · Strategy, #50 Top Paid · Simulation, #133 Top Paid · Games (US App Store)

Build your own game development company from the 1980s to the present. Design and create your own games, research new technologies, and manage a team to become a market leader. Enjoy a full simulation experience without ads or in-app purchases.

**Highlights:** Start a game development company, Design and create your own games, Research new technologies, Hire and manage a development team, Replay gaming history, Built-in screen recording and streaming

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Cheap price
- 👍 No in-app purchases or ads
- 👍 Addictive and fun gameplay
- 👍 Realistic game development simulation
- 👍 Detailed and complex mechanics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Game crashes on launch for some users
- 🐛 Orientation issues on iPhone X
- 🐛 Difficulty remembering research and specialist information
- 🔋 Game can be very time-consuming
- 🤔 Lack of difficulty options or sandbox mode

**Reported bugs**

- Loan payback amount inconsistency
- Game reports not carrying over knowledge

**Requested features**

- Add more console and game genre options
- Implement employee personalities and interactions
- Provide more detailed game performance history
- Allow simultaneous game development
- Add difficulty settings and sandbox mode


### East Trade Tycoon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/east-trade-tycoon/id1609590125)

Experience a comprehensive business simulation where you trade goods across 80 cities, build businesses, and manage your family to achieve ultimate wealth. Grow your empire, train heirs, and become the richest tycoon.

**Highlights:** Trade goods across 80 cities, Build and upgrade businesses, Manage family and heirs, Real simulation economic system, Strengthen caravans, Life simulation with family events, Complete trade tasks

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Magic Token | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Addictive gameplay loop
- 👍 Good progression speed
- 👍 No ads
- 👍 Deep strategy and mechanics
- 👍 Family building system

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Paywall after 3 years
- 💰 Game requires payment to continue
- 💰 Expensive for some
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- 🐛 Poor English translation

**Reported bugs**

- Paywall not restoring purchase
- Glitch with 12+ contribution unlocks
- UI elements cut off on curved screens/notches
- Some text boxes not translated
- Instructions are erroneous/poorly translated

**Requested features**

- More things to do with money
- More threats/defense mechanics
- Assign employees/kids to run trade routes
- Add location notifications for quests
- More updates


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Game Dev Tycoon free?

Game Dev Tycoon costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is East Trade Tycoon free?

East Trade Tycoon is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Game Dev Tycoon or East Trade Tycoon?

Game Dev Tycoon is rated higher. Game Dev Tycoon averages 4.9 out of 5 from 24K ratings, while East Trade Tycoon averages 4.2 from 115 ratings.

### Do Game Dev Tycoon or East Trade Tycoon have ads?

East Trade Tycoon shows ads; Game Dev Tycoon does not.

### Which is updated more often, Game Dev Tycoon or East Trade Tycoon?

Game Dev Tycoon ships an update every 3 months, and East Trade Tycoon every 10 days. Most recently, Game Dev Tycoon was updated on October 27, 2026 and East Trade Tycoon on October 24, 2026.

---

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