# Sid Meier’s Railroads! vs Heliopoly

The clearest difference is price: Sid Meier’s Railroads! at Free against Heliopoly's $3.99. Sid Meier’s Railroads! also leads on iOS requirement (15.5 vs 17.0). Heliopoly's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 5 months). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Sid Meier’s Railroads! is free to download; Heliopoly costs $3.99 up front. Sid Meier’s Railroads! sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Heliopoly asks for nothing beyond the download.

Sid Meier’s Railroads! ships an update every 5 months, Heliopoly every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sid Meier’s Railroads! | Heliopoly |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $3.99 |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sid-meiers-railroads/id1449719281/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1.4K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 59.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 1.6 GB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.5** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Feral Interactive Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/402470125) | [Jacob Roecker](https://appshunter.io/developer/6801637955) |

## What reviewers say

### Sid Meier’s Railroads!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sid-meiers-railroads/id1449719281)

Become a railroad tycoon by building and managing intricate railway networks. Optimize routes, transport goods and passengers, and grow your profits through shrewd business decisions and innovation. Compete with historical figures to become the greatest rail baron.

**Highlights:** Lay tracks and design routes, Transport freight and passengers, Acquire patents and trade stocks, Build or buy industries, Compete with historical figures, Collect 40 famous trains, Train Table Mode for creative building

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Game Unlock | $12.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great game
- 👍 Faithful port of original
- 🎮 Enjoyable gameplay
- 🎨 Beautiful graphics
- 🕰️ Hours of replay value

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes
- 🔋 Battery draining issues
- 🕹️ Fiddly track laying controls
- 🤖 Subpar AI opponents
- 💰 Expensive for a mobile game

**Reported bugs**

- Disappearing tracks
- Routing issues and inability to connect stations
- Map freezing and becoming unresponsive

**Requested features**

- Larger maps
- More scenarios and campaigns
- Multiplayer mode
- Ability to buy/sell shares
- More train and engine variety


### Heliopoly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heliopoly/id6801637953)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sid Meier’s Railroads! free?

Sid Meier’s Railroads! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Heliopoly free?

Heliopoly costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Sid Meier’s Railroads! or Heliopoly have ads?

Neither Sid Meier’s Railroads! nor Heliopoly shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sid Meier’s Railroads! or Heliopoly?

Sid Meier’s Railroads! ships an update every 5 months, and Heliopoly every 9 days. Most recently, Sid Meier’s Railroads! was updated on October 26, 2026 and Heliopoly on October 15, 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.*