# Ladder.io vs Shortcut Run

The clearest difference is ads: Ladder.io at none against Shortcut Run's shown. Ladder.io also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 14.0). Shortcut Run's advantage is ratings volume (239K vs 2.2K). On price, rating, review sentiment and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Ladder.io sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Shortcut Run sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Ladder.io against 4.6 for Shortcut Run. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shortcut Run has 239K ratings behind it against 2.2K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 54% of Ladder.io's written reviews are positive against 46% of Shortcut Run's.

Ladder.io ships an update fortnightly, Shortcut Run every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ladder.io | Shortcut Run |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (2.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ladderio/id1497965130/reviews)** | [4.6 (239K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shortcut-run/id1533397036/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2.2K | **239K** |
| Positive reviews | **54.2% of reviews** | 46.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 302 MB | 313 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [EpiCoro d.o.o.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1457133008) | [Voodoo](https://appshunter.io/developer/714804730) |

## What reviewers say

### Ladder.io

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ladderio/id1497965130)

Compete in a fun runner game to reach the finish line first. Use a jetpack for long jumps and upgrade your abilities with collected coins to boost your score. Spin the Lucky Wheel daily for rewards and prove you're the master.

**Highlights:** Competitive running gameplay, Jetpack power-ups for long jumps, Ladder placement for fuel collection, Coin collection for upgrades, Lucky Wheel for daily rewards

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| No Ads | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great game
- 👍 Not much ads
- 👍 Fun to race
- 👍 Customizable skins and names

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs causing infinite climbing
- 🐛 Daily spinner not working as intended
- 🐛 Frozen ads after every round
- 🐛 Slow and crashes often

**Reported bugs**

- Climbing bug going up to the sky
- Daily spinner not working properly
- Frozen ads after every round
- Slow performance and crashes

**Requested features**

- More features and updates
- Fix bugs and glitches


### Shortcut Run

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shortcut-run/id1533397036)

Race against opponents by collecting floorboards to build bridges and take shortcuts. Outsmart your rivals to reach the finish line first with stylish cheating. Enjoy simple, efficient controls.

**Highlights:** Collect floorboards, Build bridges, Take shortcuts, Race against opponents, Simple controls, Efficient gameplay

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| No Ads | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and addictive gameplay
- 🚀 Easy to win consistently
- 💡 Unique concept of collecting blocks to create shortcuts

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent glitches and crashes
- 💸 Excessive ads that disrupt gameplay
- 🤖 Opponents are bots, not real players
- 🔍 Suspicious data collection practices

**Reported bugs**

- Game freezes and crashes frequently
- Invisible obstacles and visual glitches
- Unable to delete the app from device

**Requested features**

- Add multiplayer mode with real opponents
- Introduce more challenging levels and obstacles
- Increase variety of skins and customization options
- Improve gender representation in character selection


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ladder.io free?

Ladder.io is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Shortcut Run free?

Shortcut Run is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Ladder.io or Shortcut Run?

Ladder.io is rated higher. Ladder.io averages 4.6 out of 5 from 2.2K ratings, while Shortcut Run averages 4.6 from 239K ratings.

### Do Ladder.io or Shortcut Run have ads?

Shortcut Run shows ads; Ladder.io does not.

### Which is updated more often, Ladder.io or Shortcut Run?

Ladder.io ships an update fortnightly, and Shortcut Run every 2 months. Most recently, Ladder.io was updated on October 22, 2026 and Shortcut Run on October 25, 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.*