RuneScape vs The Elder Scrolls
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
Read full descriptionHide full description
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
The Elder Scrolls
Build and manage your own castle and dynasty across generations. Make crucial decisions, customize your stronghold, and send heroes on quests to protect your kingdom. Your choices shape your legacy.
- Build and customize your castle
- Manage your dynasty across generations
- Make impactful kingdom decisions
- Train subjects and assign workstations
- Complete epic quests with heroes
- Equip heroes with epic gear
Read full descriptionHide full description
From Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning developer behind Skyrim and Fallout Shelter, comes The Elder Scrolls: Castles – a new mobile game that puts you in control of your very own castle and dynasty. Oversee your subjects as the years come and go, families grow, and new rulers take the throne. BUILD YOUR DYNASTY Tell your story for generations - each day in real life covers the span of an entire year in The Elder Scrolls: Castles. Train your subjects, name heirs, and maintain order to help your kingdom flourish. Will you keep your subjects happy and ensure a long life for their ruler? Or will they grow discontent and plot assassination? MANAGE YOUR CASTLE Customize your castle from the ground up, adding and expanding rooms, placing lavish decorations and inspirational monuments, and even assign subjects to workstations to ensure your castle has the resources to thrive for years to come! RULE YOUR KINGDOM Make key decisions that impact your legacy. Will you risk a limited supply of food to aid a neighboring kingdom? How should a heated spat between your subjects be settled? Your choices determine if your rule will inspire prosperity or lead your castle to peril. COMPLETE EPIC QUESTS Create heroes, equip them with epic gear, and send them to battle against classic Elder Scrolls foes to collect valuable items and keep your kingdom growing.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: The Elder Scrolls at 4.6 against RuneScape's 3.8. The Elder Scrolls also leads on review sentiment (49% vs 31%). RuneScape's advantage is chart position (#54 vs unranked). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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 The Elder Scrolls sells 39 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
The Elder Scrolls holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5.9K and 13K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 31% of RuneScape's written reviews are positive against 49% of The Elder Scrolls's.
RuneScape ships an update every 3 weeks, The Elder Scrolls every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | RuneScape | The Elder Scrolls |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.8 (5.9K ratings) | 4.6 (13K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 31.0% of reviews | 49.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 5.9K | 13K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #54 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 125 MB | 686 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Jagex | Bethesda |
Customer experience
RuneScape
The Elder Scrolls
User reviews
RuneScape
From 5.9K 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
The Elder Scrolls
From 13K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Fun and addictive gameplay
- 👍 Unique Elder Scrolls-themed mechanics
- 💡 Interesting character relationships and decision-making
- 🎨 Beautiful visuals and music
Room to improve
- 🔋 Drains battery quickly
- 💰 Aggressive monetization with paywall-locked content
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and sync issues
- 🕹️ Clunky controls and UI
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
The Elder Scrolls
Reported bugs
3 issues- Inability to select rooms without selecting characters
- Accidental character movement due to poor UI
- Inconsistent resource collection when game is closed
Requested features
4 requests- Multiple save files or restart option
- More customization options for castle and characters
- Improved character management tools
- Deeper integration with Elder Scrolls lore and characters
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
The Elder Scrolls
- Event Bundle$0.99
- Pouch of Gems - 50% discount$0.99
- Imperial Decoration: Discount$1.99
Show 36 moreShow fewer
- Legendary Shield Spellbreaker$1.99
- Legendary Axe: Warlock Butcher$1.99
- Pouch of Gems$1.99
- Event Bundle$2.99
- Potions and Scrolls$2.99
- Imperial Decoration$3.99
- Witch-Hunting Reinforcements$4.99
- Small Starter Bundle$4.99
- Emperor's Pass (7 days)$4.99
- Sack of Gems$4.99
- Magical Craftsmen$5.99
- Legendary Event Subject Bundle$6.99
- Redguard Bundle: New Blood$7.99
- Holiday Feast Bundle$9.99
- Satchel of Gems$9.99
- Potions and Scrolls$9.99
- Dwemer Furnace Bundle$9.99
- Emperor's Pass (14 days)$9.99
- Magical Craftsmen$9.99
- Weekly Bundle: Silversmith$11.99
- Put Your Dukes Up - Discount$11.99
- A Bit of Everything$11.99
- Decoration Pack$12.99
- But make it fashion - discount$13.99
- Emperor's Pass (30 days)$13.99
- Large Starter Bundle$14.99
- Weekly Bundle: It's Adore-able$17.99
- Imperial Coffer of Gems$19.99
- Weekly Bundle : A Noble Path$19.99
- Weekly Bundle: A Mage's Touch$19.99
- Biggest Bundle (Big Discount)$19.99
- Emperor's Pass (1 year)$19.99
- Strongbox of Gems$19.99
- Put Your Dukes Up$29.99
- Weekly Bundle: Silversmith$29.99
- Imperial Coffer of Gems$99.99
Questions
Is RuneScape free?
Is The Elder Scrolls free?
Which has better reviews, RuneScape or The Elder Scrolls?
Do RuneScape or The Elder Scrolls have ads?
Which is updated more often, RuneScape or The Elder Scrolls?
Other comparisons















