# Level Up Runner vs Smash Runner!

Level Up Runner and Smash Runner! both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 42% of Level Up Runner's written reviews are positive against 22% of Smash Runner!'s. Smash Runner!'s advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Level Up Runner sells 6 one-off in-app purchases 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 — 4.6 for Level Up Runner 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: 42% of Level Up Runner's written reviews are positive against 22% of Smash Runner!'s.

Level Up Runner ships an update every 3 weeks, Smash Runner! weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Level Up Runner | Smash Runner! |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (33K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/level-up-runner/id1586795332/reviews) | [4.6 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smash-runner/id1641058310/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **33K** | 14K |
| Positive reviews | **42.2% of reviews** | 21.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 458 MB | 258 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Lion Studios](https://appshunter.io/developer/1362220666) | [Rollic Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/1452111779) |

## What reviewers say

### Level Up Runner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/level-up-runner/id1586795332)

Charge through enemies, grow stronger with each punch, and overcome obstacles. Customize your fighter with unique gear and strike fear into your opponents. Reach the final boss and claim victory.

**Highlights:** Action-packed running and punching gameplay, Variety of enemies and traps, Hundreds of customization options, Collect power-ups, Defeat the final boss

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Starter Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| No Ads | $2.99 | one-time |
| Pound for Pound Bundle | $2.99 | one-time |
| All In One | $4.99 | one-time |
| Powerful Bundle | $6.99 | one-time |
| Ultimate Bunlde | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🤩 Fun gameplay
- 👍 Simple and intuitive
- 💪 Satisfying combat mechanics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤬 Excessive ads
- 💰 Paywalls for upgrades
- 🐛 Crashes and performance issues

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes on launch
- Levels freeze and become unplayable
- Purchased no-ads feature doesn't work

**Requested features**

- Add special abilities and effects
- Improve level progression and unlocks
- Reduce reliance on ads for progression


### 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 Level Up Runner free?

Level Up Runner 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, Level Up Runner or Smash Runner!?

Level Up Runner and Smash Runner! are both rated 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store, from 33K and 14K ratings respectively.

### Do Level Up Runner or Smash Runner! have ads?

Both Level Up Runner and Smash Runner! show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Level Up Runner or Smash Runner!?

Level Up Runner ships an update every 3 weeks, and Smash Runner! weekly. Most recently, Level Up Runner was updated on September 24, 2026 and Smash Runner! on September 22, 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.*