# Mining Sims vs Railroad Empire

The clearest difference is rating: Railroad Empire at 4.6 against Mining Sims's 4.0. Railroad Empire also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 20 months) and ratings volume (4.8K vs 4). Mining Sims's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.0). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Mining Sims sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Railroad Empire sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Railroad Empire holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Railroad Empire has 4.8K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 36% of Mining Sims's written reviews are positive against 38% of Railroad Empire's.

Mining Sims ships an update every 20 months, Railroad Empire every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mining Sims | Railroad Empire |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mining-sims/id1269192950/reviews) | **[4.6 (4.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/railroad-empire-train-game/id6499431484/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **4.8K** |
| Positive reviews | 36.4% of reviews | **37.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 20 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 790 MB | 930 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [DYNAMIC VISION AUSTRALIA PTY LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1269192949) | [AZUR INTERACTIVE GAMES LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1296347323) |

## What reviewers say

### Mining Sims

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mining-sims/id1269192950)

Experience the realistic operations of an underground mine. Purchase and upgrade machinery, hire workers, and process ore to expand your mining empire from a small site to a fully automated operation. Manage maintenance and sell minerals to grow your profits.

**Highlights:** Realistic underground mine machinery, Purchase and upgrade trucks, Hire and manage workers, Process ore for profit, Expand and automate mine site, 3D graphics and realistic landscapes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 350 Gold | $0.99 | one-time |
| 10M coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| 5 diamond | $0.99 | one-time |
| 10 diamond | $0.99 | one-time |
| 950 Gold | $2.99 | one-time |
| 25M coins | $2.99 | one-time |
| 25 diamonds | $2.99 | one-time |
| 2250 Gold | $5.99 | one-time |
| 75M coins | $5.99 | one-time |
| 75 diamonds | $5.99 | one-time |


### Railroad Empire

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/railroad-empire-train-game/id6499431484)

Build a sprawling railroad empire across America, managing resources, developing cities, and collecting legendary locomotives. Experience historical challenges and work with famous figures to shape the nation's industrial revolution.

**Highlights:** Build railroad empire, Develop cities and factories, Collect legendary locomotives, Manage and deliver resources, Work with historical figures, Upgrade trains

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Resource Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Tiny pack of gold coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| Pioneer Starter Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| TO NEW ACHIEVEMENTS! | $5.79 | one-time |
| Small pack of gold coins | $9.99 | one-time |
| Season pass premium ticket | $15.99 | one-time |
| Season Pass Ticket + extra pts | $19.99 | one-time |
| Medium pack of gold coins | $24.99 | one-time |
| Big pack of gold coins | $64.99 | one-time |
| Large pack of gold coins | $124.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Gorgeous graphics
- 🎨 Unique atmosphere
- 👍 Relaxing gameplay
- 🔍 Realistic historical references

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⏱️ Extremely long wait times
- 🔒 Restrictive progression system
- 🐛 Frequent crashes
- 🤯 Confusing navigation

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when switching screens or menus
- Inventory and progress not saving properly
- Incorrect train engine unlocks
- Unresponsive or freezing UI

**Requested features**

- Ability to select train destinations
- More camera view options
- Faster progression and shorter wait times
- Improved stability and reduced crashes


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mining Sims free?

Mining Sims is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Railroad Empire free?

Railroad Empire is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Mining Sims or Railroad Empire?

Railroad Empire is rated higher. Mining Sims averages 4.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Railroad Empire averages 4.6 from 4.8K ratings.

### Do Mining Sims or Railroad Empire have ads?

Neither Mining Sims nor Railroad Empire shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Mining Sims or Railroad Empire?

Mining Sims ships an update every 20 months, and Railroad Empire every 3 weeks. Most recently, Mining Sims was updated on November 3, 2026 and Railroad Empire on November 6, 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.*