# Project Highrise vs Tower Sim

The clearest difference is price: Tower Sim at Free against Project Highrise's $3.99. Tower Sim also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs monthly) and device support (3 vs 1). Project Highrise's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (1.4K vs 3). On ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Tower Sim is free to download; Project Highrise costs $3.99 up front. Project Highrise sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Tower Sim sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Project Highrise holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Project Highrise has 1.4K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of Project Highrise's written reviews are positive against 50% of Tower Sim's.

Project Highrise ships an update monthly, Tower Sim every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Project Highrise | Tower Sim |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $3.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/project-highrise/id1277095117/reviews)** | [4.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tower-sim/id6756843476/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.4K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | **70.2% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 360 MB | 66 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kalypso Media Group GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/958530578) | [Christian Puell](https://appshunter.io/developer/1692567041) |

## What reviewers say

### Project Highrise

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/project-highrise/id1277095117)

Build and manage your own skyscraper empire. Design every aspect of your building, from construction to tenant satisfaction, to create a world-famous landmark. Make strategic decisions to ensure success and avoid failure.

**Highlights:** Deep skyscraper simulation, Tenant management, Campaign mode, Sandbox play, Hire consultants, Variety of tenants

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| North Side | $0.99 | one-time |
| West Loop | $0.99 | one-time |
| South Loop | $0.99 | one-time |
| Student Life | $0.99 | one-time |
| Tourist Traps | $0.99 | one-time |
| Skyline Living | $0.99 | one-time |
| Media Moguls | $0.99 | one-time |
| Creative Class | $0.99 | one-time |
| Citywide Maps Bundle | $1.99 | one-time |
| Highrise Deco Bundle | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fantastic game
- 👍 Mesmerizing to watch tower grow
- 👍 Challenging and strategic
- 👍 Addictive gameplay
- 👍 Great for city/building game fans

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs preventing contract completion
- 🐛 Elevators not placing properly
- 🐛 Common area goals not registering
- 🐛 Achievements not triggering after updates
- 🐛 Luxury apartment options missing

**Reported bugs**

- 5-year-old bug preventing 'common area' contracts
- Elevators not placing over each other
- Luxury apartment options missing
- Achievements not triggering after updates
- Common area goals not registering

**Requested features**

- More scenarios and content updates
- Ability to change rent for all units at once
- Option to customize unit colors
- Offline access to DLC content
- 60fps support


### Tower Sim

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tower-sim/id6756843476)

Design and manage a towering skyscraper, from offices to penthouses. Master elevator logistics and keep diverse tenants happy amidst dynamic events and a day/night cycle. Balance your budget to grow your building into a five-star landmark.

**Highlights:** Complex simulation and budget management, Elevator logistics and tenant stress prevention, Diverse tenant types with unique needs, Dynamic day/night cycle, Challenging events and emergencies

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Basic Access | $0.99 | one-time |
| 100.000 Budget | $0.99 | one-time |
| 250.000 Budget | $1.99 | one-time |
| Advance Access | $2.99 | one-time |
| Pro Access | $4.99 | one-time |
| All Access | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Project Highrise free?

Project Highrise costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Tower Sim free?

Tower Sim is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Project Highrise or Tower Sim?

Project Highrise is rated higher. Project Highrise averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.4K ratings, while Tower Sim averages 4.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Project Highrise or Tower Sim have ads?

Neither Project Highrise nor Tower Sim shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Project Highrise or Tower Sim?

Project Highrise ships an update monthly, and Tower Sim every 2 weeks. Most recently, Project Highrise was updated on October 17, 2026 and Tower Sim on October 18, 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.*