# CityPainter vs Balloon Stack Runner

The clearest difference is price: Balloon Stack Runner at Free against CityPainter's $1.99. Balloon Stack Runner also leads on update cadence (every 5 months vs every 38 months). CityPainter's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Balloon Stack Runner is free to download; CityPainter costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for CityPainter against 5.0 for Balloon Stack Runner. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

CityPainter ships an update every 38 months, Balloon Stack Runner every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CityPainter | Balloon Stack Runner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/citypainter/id1489035444/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/balloon-stack-runner/id1603097037/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 38 months | **Every 5 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 7 MB | 167 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Ivan Cerra de Castro](https://appshunter.io/developer/321270638) | [OUAZ GAMES](https://appshunter.io/developer/1534045222) |

## What reviewers say

### CityPainter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/citypainter/id1489035444)

Race through famous cities worldwide, painting roads while evading police. Use oil cans to disable pursuers and jump over obstacles. Collect balloons to warp to new countries for bonus points and extra lives.

**Highlights:** Global city locations, Police pursuit evasion, Oil can combat, Jumping mechanics, Balloon collection bonuses, Collectible oil cans

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Balloon Stack Runner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/balloon-stack-runner/id1603097037)

Navigate a fun race, avoiding obstacles and collecting jellies to grow your balloon. Customize your balloon with hats and skins to showcase your unique style and aim for bigger rewards at the end.

**Highlights:** Obstacle avoidance, Jelly collection, Balloon growth mechanics, Customization with hats and skins, Score-based rewards

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CityPainter free?

CityPainter costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Balloon Stack Runner free?

Balloon Stack Runner is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, CityPainter or Balloon Stack Runner?

CityPainter and Balloon Stack Runner are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do CityPainter or Balloon Stack Runner have ads?

Neither CityPainter nor Balloon Stack Runner shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, CityPainter or Balloon Stack Runner?

CityPainter ships an update every 38 months, and Balloon Stack Runner every 5 months. Most recently, CityPainter was updated on September 21, 2026 and Balloon Stack Runner on September 13, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*