# Idle Highway vs ThePaperPlane

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ThePaperPlane at 100% against Idle Highway's 43%. ThePaperPlane also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.4) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). Idle Highway's advantage is ratings volume (1.2K vs 5) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs monthly). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Idle Highway sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. ThePaperPlane asks for nothing beyond the download.

ThePaperPlane holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Idle Highway has 1.2K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 43% of Idle Highway's written reviews are positive against 100% of ThePaperPlane's.

Idle Highway ships an update every 2 weeks, ThePaperPlane monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Idle Highway | ThePaperPlane |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-highway/id1476946557/reviews) | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thepaperplane/id6809642352/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.2K** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 42.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 137 MB | 34 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Adept Games Cezary Tabota](https://appshunter.io/developer/1333194573) | [Shazad Devani](https://appshunter.io/developer/6809642354) |

## What reviewers say

### Idle Highway

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-highway/id1476946557)

Build and manage your own highway empire in this engaging idle game. Earn money and expand your network to become a wealthy tycoon. Simple to learn and fun to master.

**Highlights:** Control highway traffic, Build highway networks, Manage highway operations, Earn in-game currency, Expand your empire

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and addictive gameplay
- 👍 Simple and intuitive design
- 💡 Interesting traffic control concept

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Lack of content and progression
- 🔍 Abandoned by developers
- 🔍 Excessive and intrusive ads
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- 🔍 Short gameplay experience

**Reported bugs**

- Cars phasing through each other
- Blocked in-game reviews
- Crashes after ads
- Locked new maps despite meeting requirements

**Requested features**

- More levels and maps
- Improved offline earnings
- Better progression and content
- Reduced ads or optional ad-free mode


### ThePaperPlane

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thepaperplane/id6809642352)

Control a paper plane through various backyard challenges. Master simple tap-and-hold controls to navigate hoops, pop balloons, and knock over objects. Maintain your daily streak to progress through increasingly difficult levels.

**Highlights:** Tap-and-hold controls, Backyard obstacle courses, Balloon popping, Object knocking, Daily seeded challenges, Unlockable named planes

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Idle Highway free?

Idle Highway is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is ThePaperPlane free?

ThePaperPlane is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Idle Highway or ThePaperPlane?

ThePaperPlane is rated higher. Idle Highway averages 4.4 out of 5 from 1.2K ratings, while ThePaperPlane averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.

### Do Idle Highway or ThePaperPlane have ads?

Idle Highway shows ads; ThePaperPlane does not.

### Which is updated more often, Idle Highway or ThePaperPlane?

Idle Highway ships an update every 2 weeks, and ThePaperPlane monthly. Most recently, Idle Highway was updated on October 26, 2026 and ThePaperPlane on October 24, 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.*