RuneScape vs Black Desert Mobile
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
RuneScape
Embark on an epic fantasy adventure in a vast, evolving MMORPG world. Choose your path as a lone adventurer or raid with friends, mastering diverse skills and facing mythical creatures. Explore unique locations and interact with memorable characters in this enduring online experience.
- Vast open world exploration
- Player-driven progression
- Diverse skill system (29+ skills)
- Versatile combat options
- Rich NPC interactions
- Player trading system
- Optional membership for expanded content
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EXPLORE A VAST MMORPG WORLD LIKE NO OTHER RuneScape is a high fantasy open world MMORPG. Explore an ever changing and evolving living world where new challenges, skills, and quests await. Featuring unprecedented player freedom, you choose how to play, adventure, and grow. PLAY YOUR WAY It's all up to you. Will you explore the world and embark on a risky raid with friends, or seek fame and fortune as a lone adventurer? Whether you’re the hero of daring quests, quietly tending to your farm, a legend risking it all against a high-level boss or simply a gentle soul spending a night at the circus, RuneScape is the perfect AFK second-screen game. Play how you want, the choice is yours! Warrior or wizard, farmer or cook – what type of hero will you be? ENDLESS DISCOVERY With a world and story that’s been growing for an incredible 20 years, RuneScape continues to thrill players with a magic packed adventure unlike any other. With 270 million installations and cross-playability on PC and mobile, join the hundreds of millions of people who have explored the fantastic and mystical world of Gielinor. UNFORGETTABLE ENCOUNTERS Make friends – and perhaps sometimes enemies – with a rich roster of memorable NPC characters. From lovable companions and friendly rogues, to deceitful villains and vengeful gods, the many faces of Gielinor offer a deep fantasy experience unlike anything else. A THRIVING WORLD Visit dozens and dozens of unique and striking locations, from the medieval city of Burthorpe and the tranquil harbours of Catherby, to the dangerous dragon filled expanses of the Wilderness or the barren and parched Kharidian Desert. Own your own port! Run your own farm! Make a pretty penny trading with players at The Grand Exchange… but be sure to keep your exotic wares safe in the Bank! POWERFUL SKILLS With 29 skills to master, what will you become? Will you be one with nature by perfecting Woodcutting, Fishing, Herblore and Cooking? Or perhaps you prefer to be creative with Crafting, Farming, Smithing and Construction? Maybe your tastes lay elsewhere – with Hunting, Divination, Invention or Runecrafting? Or does your soul yearn for action, with Magic, Summoning, Slayer and Dungeoneering? VERSATILE COMBAT Do you want to get up close and personal with a sharp blade in your hand? Or will you take a tactical approach and attack from range? Or perhaps your skills are more mystical, and you prefer the arena of magic? Defeat a dazzling assortment of foes including an unimaginable array of epic bosses. From demons to dragons and rock monsters to serpents, nightmares beyond your wildest imagination lay in wait. MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS RuneScape can be played for free, but also offers optional membership that unlocks even more thrilling content, including 8 additional skills, over 120 extra quests and access to the entire world map! Enjoy RuneScape at its best! JOIN OUR COMMUNITY Add your unique voice to our vibrant RuneScape community. Enjoy a strong connection to RuneScape's independent development team by joining them for regular livestreams and share ideas on the forums. We shape RuneScape together! RuneScape supports EN, FR, DE and PT-BR languages. Not Supported: iPhone 5S (and older), iPhone 6/6 Plus, iPad Mini 2, iPad Mini 3, iPad Air (2013) Privacy Policy: https://legal.jagex.com/docs/policies/privacy Terms and Conditions: https://www.jagex.com/terms Do Not Sell Or Share My Personal Information: https://www.jagex.com/en-GB/terms/privacy#do-not-sell RuneScape is free to download and play, however, this game also offers players the opportunity to purchase in-game items such as Treasure keys. These keys can be used to unlock treasure chests, which contain random items. Please see the PEGI information page for more information: https://pegi.info/search-pegi?q=runescape
Black Desert Mobile
Embark on a vast open-world adventure in this critically acclaimed MMORPG. Experience breathtaking action with dynamic skills, stunning graphics, and deep character customization. Explore endless content, manage your own camp, and adventure with loyal pets and horses.
- Breathtaking action combat
- High-fidelity graphics
- Extreme character customization
- Vast life content (fishing, taming)
- Camp management and expansion
- Loyal pets and horses
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'Includes random-item purchases' "Finally, An Actual Open-World For Mobile" –TheGamer- "The best mobile MMO gameplay" –MMORPG.com- "A true MMO experience" –GamePress- "Prettiest fantasy MMOs on mobile" -VentureBeat- [Black Desert Mobile Official Website] https://www.world.blackdesertm.com/ ▶Black Desert Mobile◀ The critically-acclaimed MMO with players from over 150 countries around the world! Experience the amazing adventure in Black Desert on Mobile. ■ Breathtaking Action Play as 14 unique classes with dynamic skills. Indulge in unparalled, fast-paced action and combat found only on Black Desert Mobile! ■ The Best Graphics on Mobile Immersive world with sophisticated, high-fidelity graphics! Take the original quality experience anywhere you go on mobile. ■ Express Yourself with Extreme Character Customization Simple tools allow for high degree of freedom in character customization! Become your true self with customization options that push the boundaries of gaming. ■ An Endless Amount of Content to Create the World Vast life content, including fishing and taming, along with the your own Camp to manage and expand. Trustworthy pets and horses to keep you company on your adventures. [Social Media] Follow us on our Social Media for the latest news & updates! Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/OfficialBlackDesertMobile Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/blackdesertmobile_en Twitter : https://twitter.com/BlackDesertM_en [Device Requirements] iPhone 12 Pro / iOS 14
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Black Desert Mobile at 4.6 against RuneScape's 3.8. Black Desert Mobile also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (50% vs 31%). RuneScape's advantage is chart position (#58 vs #178). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. RuneScape sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $10.99 per month and Black Desert Mobile sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Black Desert Mobile holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Black Desert Mobile has 33K ratings behind it against 6K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 31% of RuneScape's written reviews are positive against 50% of Black Desert Mobile's.
RuneScape ships an update every 3 weeks, Black Desert Mobile fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 28, 2026.
| Parameter | RuneScape | Black Desert Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.8 (6K ratings) | 4.6 (33K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 31.0% of reviews | 49.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 6K | 33K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #58 — better | #178 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 117 MB | 392 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Jagex | Pearl Abyss Corp. |
Customer experience
RuneScape
Black Desert Mobile
User reviews
RuneScape
From 6K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🎮 Great mobile experience
- 🕹️ Smooth gameplay
- 🔥 Nostalgic throwback
- 🌐 Expansive content
- 👍 Enjoyable for long-time fans
Room to improve
- 🔍 Cluttered UI and small buttons
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🤖 Unresponsive controls
- 💰 Expensive membership and microtransactions
Black Desert Mobile
From 33K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Smooth gameplay
- 👍 Stunning graphics
- 🌟 Immersive world and story
- 🎨 Excellent character customization
- ⚔️ Engaging combat system
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔒 Restrictive gender-locked classes
- 💰 Monetization and pay-to-win concerns
- 🔍 Cluttered and confusing UI
- 🔋 High battery consumption
Bugs and requests
RuneScape
Reported bugs
5 issues- Crashes during character creation
- Unresponsive tapping and input issues
- Dialogue and quest progression problems
- Incompatibility with certain iOS devices
- Networking and server connection issues
Requested features
5 requests- Customizable UI and interface
- Improved touch controls and navigation
- Better optimization for tablets and larger screens
- Joystick or controller support
- More tutorials and guidance for new players
Black Desert Mobile
Reported bugs
4 issues- Crashes when summoning a horse
- Unable to claim certain items
- Matchmaking issues in PvP arena
- Connectivity problems and server instability
Requested features
5 requests- Allow gender selection for all classes
- Improve social features and player interaction
- Add more diverse content and endgame activities
- Optimize performance and reduce crashes
- Provide better balance between free-to-play and paid progression
In-app purchases
RuneScape
- 1 Month Membership + Trial7 Days trial$10.991 Month
- 1 Month Membership$12.491 Month
- 1 Month Membership2 variants$14.991 Month
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Starter Membership Pack$14.991 Month
- 1 Day Membership$0.99
- 3 Day Membership$1.99
- 7 Day Membership$3.99
Show 9 moreShow fewer
- 15 Keys$5.99
- 1 RuneScape Bond$8.99
- 35 Keys$11.99
- 75 keys + Wrapping paper$19.99
- 75 Keys$23.99
- 3 RuneScape Bonds$26.95
- 200 Keys$59.99
- 10 RuneScape Bonds$89.99
- 450 Keys$119.99
Black Desert Mobile
- 40 pearls$0.99
- 122 pearls$2.99
- 204 pearls$4.99
Show 7 moreShow fewer
- Combat Plus (14 Days)$4.99
- 410 pearls$9.99
- All-Inclusive Plus Chest$9.99
- 1232 pearls$29.99
- 1232 Pearls + Bonus 5% Pearls$29.99
- 4115 pearls$99.99
- 4115 Pearls + Bonus 10% Pearls$99.99
Questions
Is RuneScape free?
Is Black Desert Mobile free?
Which has better reviews, RuneScape or Black Desert Mobile?
Do RuneScape or Black Desert Mobile have ads?
Which is updated more often, RuneScape or Black Desert Mobile?
Which is more popular, RuneScape or Black Desert Mobile?
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