# Initial Drift vs APEX Racer

The clearest difference is rating: APEX Racer at 4.7 against Initial Drift's 3.0. APEX Racer also leads on ratings volume (24K vs 98) and chart position (#30 vs unranked). Initial Drift's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs monthly) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Initial Drift sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and APEX Racer sells 17 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

APEX Racer holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: APEX Racer has 24K ratings behind it against 98, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 52% of Initial Drift's written reviews are positive against 62% of APEX Racer's.

Initial Drift ships an update weekly, APEX Racer monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Initial Drift | APEX Racer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.0 (98 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/initial-drift/id1512034398/reviews) | **[4.7 (24K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/apex-racer/id1668705222/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 98 | **24K** |
| Positive reviews | 51.8% of reviews | **62.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#30** |
| Size | 342 MB | 325 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Przemyslaw Gajc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1434540442) | [G63 Holdings LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1668705224) |

## What reviewers say

### Initial Drift

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/initial-drift/id1512034398)

Experience thrilling drift racing on challenging mountain roads. Compete against the clock and players worldwide to achieve top scores. Master arcade driving physics with various cars and routes.

**Highlights:** Drift and non-drift driving styles, Global high score competition, Multiple worlds and routes, Challenging arcade physics, Leveling system with rewards, 24 unlockable cars

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Car skin | $0.99 | one-time |
| Unlock all skins | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Fun and engaging gameplay mechanics
- 🎵 Great atmospheric eurobeat soundtrack
- ⚙️ Realistic car physics and weight simulation
- 🏎️ Excellent drifting mechanics when mastered
- 🔋 Low battery consumption and lightweight

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🎛️ Steering feels unresponsive and sluggish
- ⚖️ Excessive understeer in vehicles
- 🚧 Cars stick to guardrails excessively
- ❌ No handbrake mechanic available
- 🎮 Controls feel heavy and unforgiving

**Reported bugs**

- Controller support not working properly on PS4/PS5
- Frequent account logout issues
- Leaderboard doesn't refresh properly
- Game lag and optimization issues
- Inconsistent turning behavior at different speeds

**Requested features**

- Adjustable steering sensitivity slider
- Handbrake mechanic for better control
- More maps and courses
- Multiplayer racing mode
- More free cars without paywall


### APEX Racer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/apex-racer/id1668705222)

**Currently charting:** #30 Top Grossing · Racing, #54 Top Grossing · Sports, #186 Top Free · Racing, #205 Top Free · Sports (US App Store)

Experience retro-style racing with modern 3D visuals. Customize and tune dozens of cars with hundreds of parts to build your ultimate ride. Compete in various game modes to dominate leaderboards and cruise with other racers.

**Highlights:** Retro 2.5D graphics with modern 3D visuals, Extensive car tuning and customization, Dozens of cars and hundreds of parts, Variety of game modes (racing, cruising), Leaderboard competition, Community interaction and feedback system

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (17)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cash Pack #1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| ELEGANCE PACK (Special) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Gold Pack #1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Taurus Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Trackday Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Gold Pack #2 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Car Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Car Pack #11 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Car Pack #17 | $5.99 | one-time |
| Cash Pack #3 | $6.99 | one-time |
| Car Pack #3 | $6.99 | one-time |
| Gold Pack #3 | $6.99 | one-time |
| Car Pack #4 | $6.99 | one-time |
| Supporter (Pro) | $7.99 | one-time |
| Gold Pack #04 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Gold Pack #05 | $16.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great game
- 🚀 Awesome customization
- 🚀 Smooth gameplay
- 🚀 Fantastic graphics
- 🚀 Lots of car variety

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes
- 🐛 Buggy menus and customization
- 🐛 Parts disappearing or not equipping properly
- 🐛 Inconsistent race rewards
- 🐛 Tuning issues and limitations

**Reported bugs**

- Loading screen crashes
- Dealership cars not loading
- Incorrect car performance stats
- Sold parts not returning to inventory
- Challenges not progressing properly

**Requested features**

- Online multiplayer
- Dyno tuning feature
- More race types and events
- Improved tutorial and guidance
- Better cloud sync and account management


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Initial Drift free?

Initial Drift is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is APEX Racer free?

APEX Racer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Initial Drift or APEX Racer?

APEX Racer is rated higher. Initial Drift averages 3.0 out of 5 from 98 ratings, while APEX Racer averages 4.7 from 24K ratings.

### Do Initial Drift or APEX Racer have ads?

Neither Initial Drift nor APEX Racer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Initial Drift or APEX Racer?

Initial Drift ships an update weekly, and APEX Racer monthly. Most recently, Initial Drift was updated on September 23, 2026 and APEX Racer on September 27, 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.*