Comparison

Plants vs Goblins 3 vs Gold Runner Classic

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Plants vs Goblins 3

Defend the Garden Kingdom from a new goblin invasion in this action-packed strategy game. Recruit new plant warriors, upgrade powerful skills, and uncover secrets to drive back the enemy.

Highlights
  • New plant warrior types
  • Vicious new goblin enemies
  • Upgradeable special skills
  • Mysterious benefactor character
  • Diverse quest system
  • Daily free rewards
  • Goblin information library
Features
Read full description

Peace has reigned over the verdant fields of the Garden Kingdom for several years following the Second Great Goblin War. While the greenhouses have been rebuilt and the nurseries flourish with budding new citizens, the remnants of war remain in the tales of grizzled veterans telling stories over a glass of fertilizer and dust covered outposts that remain ever vigilant for the threat of goblins from sky and land. The illusion of peace that the plants had hoped would last forever was burst one sunny afternoon day when the guards at a border outpost found themselves frozen in place by a strange looking goblin crackling with an arcane blue glow. Seconds later a goblin moving faster than any they had seen before came in and destroyed the outpost, laying it to waste and clearing the way for the marching hordes that followed over the horizon. War has come again to the Garden Kingdom, with greater threats and more powerful goblins than they’ve ever faced before. But all is not lost, in the time of peace new friends have joined the Garden Kingdom, prickly cacti, fiery Chili Peppers, deadly Dahlias and more all stand with our old heroes to drive the vile threat back to where it came from. In this newest edition of Plants and Goblins You’ll find: - New Cactus, Chili, Dahlia, Pear, Pumpkin, Sunflower, Tomato, and Tulip Garden Warriors - Vicious new mad goblin and freeze goblin enemies. - Upgradeable special Skills including Heavy Rockets, Freezing, Bombs, and more! - A mysterious benefactor known as the Botanist who can’t fight or defend… but has secrets to share. - An endless array of diverse quests that will have you swimming in gold and gems! - Multiple Free Rewards A day - A comprehensive library containing information about all your goblin foes!

About

Gold Runner Classic

Dig pits to trap enemies and collect all gold chests to advance through classic retro levels. Utilize smart strategies and simple controls for surprisingly deep gameplay in this mine-running adventure.

Highlights
  • Dig pits to trap enemies
  • Collect all gold chests
  • 201 classic retro levels
  • Ladders, ropes, and trapdoors
  • Smart enemy luring strategies
  • Simple controls, deep gameplay
Features
Read full description

Dig, trap, and outsmart the guards—then grab every gold chest to clear the stage! In Gold Runner, you drill pits into cracked bricks to trap enemies for a moment, slip past them, and recover the treasure they drop. When all gold is collected, the exit ladder appears—climb up to enter the next level! [How to Play] • Move with Joystick / D-Pad • Press A to dig a hole on the right • Press B to dig a hole on the left • Collect all gold chests → the ladder appears → climb to win [Features] • 201 levels of classic retro challenge • Ladders, ropes, trapdoors, and multi-floor stages • Smart strategies: lure guards, trap them, and steal their loot • Simple controls, surprisingly deep gameplay Ready to run the mine? Start digging and collect them all!

Screenshots

Plants vs Goblins 33 screens
Gold Runner Classic4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Gold Runner Classic at none against Plants vs Goblins 3's shown. Gold Runner Classic also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 43 months) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). Plants vs Goblins 3's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, in-app purchases and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Plants vs Goblins 3 ships an update every 43 months, Gold Runner Classic every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Plants vs Goblins 3 versus Gold Runner Classic: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPlants vs Goblins 3Gold Runner Classic
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.5 (15 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews40.0% of reviews50.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings15 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 43 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supportedFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size232 MB120 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAleksey TselinkoZIROTEK Corp.

Customer experience

Plants vs Goblins 3

All ratings15 ratings
Positive60.0%
Neutral6.7%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive40.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative50.0%

Gold Runner Classic

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

None

Plants vs Goblins 3

No in-app purchases

None

Gold Runner Classic

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Plants vs Goblins 3 free?
Plants vs Goblins 3 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Gold Runner Classic free?
Gold Runner Classic is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Plants vs Goblins 3 or Gold Runner Classic have ads?
Plants vs Goblins 3 shows ads; Gold Runner Classic does not.
Which is updated more often, Plants vs Goblins 3 or Gold Runner Classic?
Plants vs Goblins 3 ships an update every 43 months, and Gold Runner Classic every 2 months. Most recently, Plants vs Goblins 3 was updated on November 2, 2026 and Gold Runner Classic on November 3, 2026.

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