# Canvas Run vs Smash Runner!

The clearest difference is update cadence: Smash Runner! at weekly against Canvas Run's fortnightly. On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Canvas Run sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Smash Runner! 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 — 4.5 for Canvas Run against 4.6 for Smash Runner!. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 33K and 14K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 29% of Canvas Run's written reviews are positive against 22% of Smash Runner!'s.

Canvas Run ships an update fortnightly, Smash Runner! weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Canvas Run | Smash Runner! |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (33K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/canvas-run/id1583922362/reviews) | **[4.6 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smash-runner/id1641058310/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **33K** | 14K |
| Positive reviews | **29.2% of reviews** | 21.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 263 MB | 258 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Voodoo](https://appshunter.io/developer/714804730) | [Rollic Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/1452111779) |

## What reviewers say

### Canvas Run

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/canvas-run/id1583922362)

Navigate through levels by expanding your canvas. Enjoy addictive gameplay with simple, intuitive controls.

**Highlights:** Expand canvas to clear levels, Easy slide controls, Addictive gameplay mechanic, Progress through levels

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

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

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Satisfying and relaxing gameplay
- 🕹️ Fun and addictive
- 💎 Gems collected
- 🌈 Colorful visuals

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📺 Too many ads
- 🔓 Requires internet connection to play
- 🔍 Unclear purpose of gems
- 🔻 Unfair ball reduction mechanics
- 🐛 Glitches and bugs

**Reported bugs**

- Camera glitches and falls through the map
- Game freezes and crashes
- Inconsistent ball count reductions

**Requested features**

- Ability to spend gems on upgrades or customization
- Offline play mode
- More obstacles and challenges
- Clearer progression and scoring system


### Smash Runner!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smash-runner/id1641058310)

Embark on a colorful adventure where you collect layers to grow larger. Become big enough to smash through blocks and experience the satisfying feeling of destroying cubes.

**Highlights:** Collect layers, Grow bigger, Smash blocks, Colorful adventure, Cube smashing

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fun and satisfying gameplay
- 👍 Unique and engaging concept
- 💡 Potential for more levels

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔋 Drains battery quickly
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 📺 Excessive and intrusive ads
- 🤔 Misleading advertising

**Reported bugs**

- Game freezes and crashes at higher levels
- Levels not loading or resetting progress
- Unresponsive controls and gameplay issues

**Requested features**

- Add an ad-free option
- Improve level progression and difficulty scaling
- Fix stability issues and crashes


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Canvas Run free?

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

### Is Smash Runner! free?

Smash Runner! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Canvas Run or Smash Runner!?

Smash Runner! is rated higher. Canvas Run averages 4.5 out of 5 from 33K ratings, while Smash Runner! averages 4.6 from 14K ratings.

### Do Canvas Run or Smash Runner! have ads?

Both Canvas Run and Smash Runner! show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Canvas Run or Smash Runner!?

Canvas Run ships an update fortnightly, and Smash Runner! weekly. Most recently, Canvas Run was updated on September 24, 2026 and Smash Runner! on September 22, 2026.

---

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