# Simulation City® vs Detective Protocol

The clearest difference is price: Detective Protocol at Free against Simulation City®'s $6.99. Detective Protocol also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 20 months). Simulation City®'s advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 26.0). On in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Detective Protocol is free to download; Simulation City® costs $6.99 up front. Simulation City® sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Detective Protocol sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Simulation City® ships an update every 20 months, Detective Protocol every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Simulation City® | Detective Protocol |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $6.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[1.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simulation-city/id1214639532/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 20 months | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Size | 84 MB | 82 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | +4 | 12+ |
| Developer | [Domyung Kim](https://appshunter.io/developer/1068125396) | [Miguel Vieira](https://appshunter.io/developer/641139920) |

## What reviewers say

### Simulation City®

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simulation-city/id1214639532)

Design and manage your ideal city, from rural towns to bustling metropolises. Expand infrastructure like airports and seaports, trade goods, and develop land to increase its value. Strategically plan your growth to overcome rising land prices and create a unique urban landscape.

**Highlights:** City development and management, Infrastructure expansion (airports, seaports), Trade and resource management, Land value development, Strategic planning, Rural to metropolis transformation

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 500,000 Money | $1.99 | one-time |


### Detective Protocol

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/detective-protocol-crime-sim/id6759249109)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Global Jurisdiction | $2.99 | one-time |
| Elite Training Module | $2.99 | one-time |
| Visual-Freq Upgrade | $2.99 | one-time |
| Restricted Case Files | $2.99 | one-time |
| Director's Clearance | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Simulation City® free?

Simulation City® costs $6.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Detective Protocol free?

Detective Protocol is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Simulation City® or Detective Protocol have ads?

Detective Protocol shows ads; Simulation City® does not.

### Which is updated more often, Simulation City® or Detective Protocol?

Simulation City® ships an update every 20 months, and Detective Protocol every 4 days. Most recently, Simulation City® was updated on October 14, 2026 and Detective Protocol on October 16, 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.*