Comparison

The Lonely Hacker vs Hacker Sim

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

The Lonely Hacker

Explore a vast open world and engage in realistic hacking simulations. Learn various cybercrime methods and attack vectors using exclusive tools. This game offers a unique adventure with mini-games to keep you entertained.

Highlights
  • Realistic hacking software and hardware
  • Big open world with real countries
  • Learn hacking methods and attack vectors
  • Customized and different adventures
  • Mini-games included
Features
Read full description

Turn your phone into the best digital weapon and become a true master of technology. You will hack everything you can imagine within an enormous open world and coordinate 100% realistic attacks with the tools we have designed exclusively for you. Live a customized and different adventure each time you submerge into the cybercrime world. You will learn every method used by modern hackers and dominate all the attack vectors, from the most common up to the most exclusive ones, known only by security experts and the most dangerous cybercriminals. The knowledge you obtain through the detailed tutorial that will teach you how to use each one of the tools available will also serve you in real-life to better understand the digital world we live in. You will be more aware of the dangers lurking behind each corner in the labyrinth that is the internet and you will feel like a true hacker. Features: - Big open world with all the real countries to travel to and hack every device possible! - Realistic hacking software and hardware! - Mini-games for when you get tired of hacking! Enjoy! A game published by "The Lonely Developer" - An independent developer

About

Hacker Sim

Build a digital empire through strategic hacking, trading, and mining. Manage your "Heat" level, complete contracts, and upgrade your rig. Features a new story mode where you battle a cyber threat.

Highlights
  • Story Mode with branching objectives
  • Multi-stage hacking mechanics
  • Real-time Heat management system
  • Simulated cryptocurrency market trading
  • In-game crypto mining
  • Botnet building and management
  • Hardware and skill upgrades
Features
Read full description

Your rig is humming. The target is live. One clean breach and the Blacknet pays out. Hacker Sim is a layered hacking strategy game — not a tapper. Run live multi-stage breaches, upgrade your rig, trade a simulated crypto market, and keep your Trace low enough to stay invisible. Your operation keeps earning while you're away. RUN LIVE BREACHES Recon. Penetrate. Escalate. Extract. Cleanup. Every stage shifts your odds, payout, and Trace exposure. Push deeper for a bigger score, or abort before the grid lights up. MANAGE TRACE Every action leaves a signal. Let Trace climb and targets harden, success rates fall, and the net closes in. Cool down, lay low, and choose your moment to strike again. BUILD YOUR RIG Upgrade CPU, RAM, GPU, storage, network, and cooling. Better hardware means faster breaches, higher success rates, and stronger mining output. EARN WHILE YOU'RE AWAY Mining rigs and botnets keep working when the app is closed. Come back to stacked earnings, finished research, and a cache waiting to be claimed. TRADE THE BLACKNET Track a simulated crypto market with live price movement, volatility, and portfolio value — then unlock the Trading Desk to buy, sell, and ride the swings. COMPLETE CONTRACTS Time-boxed contract work with escalating rewards and streaks. Operator Pass members unlock the Operator Contract Board with higher-value objectives. RESEARCH NEW CAPABILITIES Develop your Research Lab to unlock new methods, skills, and permanent advantages for breaching, mining, and staying hidden. CLAIM DAILY CACHES Log in daily to build your streak and collect escalating rewards. Operator Pass unlocks a second Daily Cache Lane every day. PLAY STORY MODE Step into Aegis Sentinel's SOC in Circuit Breakers — a narrative cyber thriller where you triage threats, investigate incidents, and battle The Choir across episodic missions with branching choices. COMPETE AND PROGRESS • Earn cash, reputation, achievements, and titles • Climb Game Center leaderboards • Long-term progression that respects your time OPERATOR PASS Full Blacknet membership: the Trading Desk, Operator Contract Board, a second Daily Cache Lane, Circuit Breakers access, extra operation capacity, an extra research queue, and no ads on sponsored rewards. IMPORTANT Hacker Sim is a strategy simulation game. It does not teach, enable, or encourage real hacking. All hacking, crypto, malware, botnet, and market systems are fictional and simulated for entertainment only. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

The Lonely Hacker4 screens
Hacker Sim4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Hacker Sim at Free against The Lonely Hacker's $0.99. Hacker Sim also leads on rating (4.6 vs 4.3). The Lonely Hacker's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 16) and ads (none vs shown). On ratings volume, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Hacker Sim is free to download; The Lonely Hacker costs $0.99 up front. Hacker Sim sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. The Lonely Hacker asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Hacker Sim holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 21 and 17 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 78% of The Lonely Hacker's written reviews are positive against 50% of Hacker Sim's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

The Lonely Hacker ships an update every 2 months, Hacker Sim every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and August 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
The Lonely Hacker versus Hacker Sim: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe Lonely HackerHacker Sim
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating4.3 (21 ratings)4.6 (17 ratings) — better
Positive reviews78.1% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings21 — better17
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 5 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size604 MB45 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperSabin TrupsorJOBEE DEVELOPMENTS LTD

Customer experience

The Lonely Hacker

All ratings21 ratings
Positive85.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative14.3%
Written reviews32 reviews
Positive78.1%
Neutral9.4%
Negative12.5%

Hacker Sim

All ratings17 ratings
Positive82.4%
Neutral17.6%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral50.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

The Lonely Hacker

No in-app purchases

16 purchases

Hacker Sim

Subscriptions2
  • Operator Pass Monthly$6.991 Month
  • Operator Pass Annual$39.991 Year
One-time14
  • Extra Streak Freeze$0.99
  • Cash Pack (Small)$1.99
  • Heat Amnesty Token$1.99
Show 11 more
  • Recovery Kit$2.99
  • Crypto Stash (Small)$2.99
  • Heat Insurance (1hr)$2.99
  • Field Kit$3.99
  • Cash Pack (Medium)$3.99
  • Black Budget Cache$4.99
  • Research Boost Bundle$4.99
  • Crypto Stash (Medium)$5.99
  • Circuit Breakers Forever$6.99
  • Cash Pack (Large)$9.99
  • Lifetime Operator License$14.99

Questions

Is The Lonely Hacker free?
The Lonely Hacker costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Hacker Sim free?
Hacker Sim is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, The Lonely Hacker or Hacker Sim?
Hacker Sim is rated higher. The Lonely Hacker averages 4.3 out of 5 from 21 ratings, while Hacker Sim averages 4.6 from 17 ratings.
Do The Lonely Hacker or Hacker Sim have ads?
Hacker Sim shows ads; The Lonely Hacker does not.
Which is updated more often, The Lonely Hacker or Hacker Sim?
The Lonely Hacker ships an update every 2 months, and Hacker Sim every 5 weeks. Most recently, The Lonely Hacker was updated on September 21, 2026 and Hacker Sim on August 1, 2026.

Other comparisons