# Sid Meier's Civilization® VI vs Steam Link

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Steam Link at none against Sid Meier's Civilization® VI's 10. Steam Link also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months) and review sentiment (43% vs 34%). Sid Meier's Civilization® VI's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sid Meier's Civilization® VI sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Steam Link asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 3.2 for Sid Meier's Civilization® VI against 3.3 for Steam Link. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.6K and 3K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 34% of Sid Meier's Civilization® VI's written reviews are positive against 43% of Steam Link's.

Sid Meier's Civilization® VI ships an update every 2 months, Steam Link every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sid Meier's Civilization® VI | Steam Link |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.2 (1.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sid-meiers-civilization-vi/id1235863443/reviews) | **[3.3 (3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/steam-link/id1246969117/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1.6K | **3K** |
| Positive reviews | 34.1% of reviews | **42.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 3.7 GB | 44 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Aspyr Media, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/296399696) | [Valve](https://appshunter.io/developer/495369751) |

## What reviewers say

### Sid Meier's Civilization® VI

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sid-meiers-civilization-vi/id1235863443)

Lead a civilization from the Stone Age to the Information Age. Wage war, conduct diplomacy, and advance culture to build the greatest empire. Play 60 turns for free, with expansions available for purchase.

**Highlights:** Turn-based strategy gameplay, Build an empire through ages, Wage war and conduct diplomacy, Advance culture and technology, Cross-platform cloud saves, Expansion packs available

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Multiplayer Compatibility Pack | Free | one-time |
| Play 60 Turns Free | Free | one-time |
| Australia Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Poland Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Vikings Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Persia and Macedon Pack | $8.99 | one-time |
| Khmer & Indonesia Pack | $8.99 | one-time |
| Civilization VI Full Game | $9.99 | one-time |
| Rise and Fall | $29.99 | one-time |
| Gathering Storm | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fully-featured Civ 6 experience on mobile
- 👍 Intuitive touch controls and UI
- 🌐 Ability to play on the go
- 💡 Potential for future DLC and content updates

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive base game and DLC pricing
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and performance issues
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🔍 Blurry graphics and oversized UI on larger iPads

**Reported bugs**

- Game freezing and crashing after extended play sessions
- Issues with unit targeting and UI responsiveness
- Inability to download and install DLC content properly
- Disappearing save files and lost progress

**Requested features**

- Improved optimization and performance
- Smaller UI elements and better scaling for larger screens
- Ability to transfer saves and DLC purchases from other platforms
- Support for multiplayer and cloud saves


### Steam Link

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/steam-link/id1246969117)

Play your PC Steam games on your iPhone or iPad. Connect a controller and stream your library wirelessly from your computer to your mobile device. Enjoy your favorite titles on the go with this app.

**Highlights:** Stream Steam library to mobile, Use MFI or Steam controllers, Play on iPhone or iPad, Requires iOS 11.0+, Connect to PC on same network

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent streaming quality
- 👍 Works well with controllers
- 🔥 Allows playing PC games on the go
- 💡 Versatile and convenient

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔌 Requires PC to be on and connected
- 🔍 Limited touch controls
- 🔧 Compatibility issues with some devices

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on startup
- Audio issues and sound problems
- Controller mapping and input problems
- Streaming quality and performance inconsistencies

**Requested features**

- Allow playing games with PC off
- Add remote access and PC control features
- Improve touch screen controls and customization
- Expand device compatibility


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sid Meier's Civilization® VI free?

Sid Meier's Civilization® VI is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Steam Link free?

Steam Link is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Sid Meier's Civilization® VI or Steam Link?

Steam Link is rated higher. Sid Meier's Civilization® VI averages 3.2 out of 5 from 1.6K ratings, while Steam Link averages 3.3 from 3K ratings.

### Do Sid Meier's Civilization® VI or Steam Link have ads?

Neither Sid Meier's Civilization® VI nor Steam Link shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sid Meier's Civilization® VI or Steam Link?

Sid Meier's Civilization® VI ships an update every 2 months, and Steam Link every 3 weeks. Most recently, Sid Meier's Civilization® VI was updated on October 29, 2026 and Steam Link on October 29, 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.*