# Pako Highway vs Populus Run

The clearest difference is ads: Populus Run at none against Pako Highway's shown. Populus Run also leads on device support (5 vs 3). Pako Highway's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 4 weeks) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pako Highway sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and Populus Run sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Populus Run holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 694 and 1.5K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 74% of Pako Highway's written reviews are positive against 70% of Populus Run's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Pako Highway ships an update weekly, Populus Run every 4 weeks. Both last shipped on October 30, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pako Highway | Populus Run |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (694 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pako-highway/id1640030728/reviews) | **[4.7 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/populus-run/id6470197867/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 694 | **1.5K** |
| Positive reviews | **74.1% of reviews** | 69.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 4 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 261 MB | 523 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Tree Men Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/875238560) | [FIFTYTWO](https://appshunter.io/developer/853087985) |

## What reviewers say

### Pako Highway

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pako-highway/id1640030728)

Experience endless highway driving with thrilling near-miss overtakes to activate a powerful boost. Explore diverse environments, enjoy curated radio stations, and customize your vehicle collection. Level up to unlock new cars, upgrades, and stages.

**Highlights:** Endless highway driving, Near-miss overtake boost, Multiple driving environments, In-game radio stations, Car collection and upgrades, Leveling system

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 30 000 | $0.99 | one-time |
| 150 000 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Remove ads | $4.99 | one-time |
| 350 000 | $7.99 | one-time |
| Unlimited coins | $8.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fun and addictive gameplay
- 👍 Great graphics and retro vibe
- 💎 Satisfying boost and collision mechanics
- 🎮 Smooth and responsive controls
- 🕹️ Casual and easy to pick up

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inconsistent AI traffic behavior
- 🔁 Repetitive map design
- ⏱️ Short time limit per run
- 🚧 Obstacles and road hazards can be frustrating
- 💰 Excessive ads for a paid game

**Reported bugs**

- Diamonds not spawning on certain maps
- Crashes or freezes when starting a race
- Purchased car colors not applying correctly

**Requested features**

- Endless or sandbox mode without time limit
- More map variety and unique gimmicks
- Improved traffic AI to reduce frustrating pileups
- Customization options for cars and visual style
- Separate volume controls for music and sound effects


### Populus Run

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/populus-run/id6470197867)

Control a crowd of people in this unique running game. Dodge obstacles, battle quirky bosses, and discover hidden characters. Enjoy the full experience with a one-time purchase.

**Highlights:** Control a crowd of people, Dodge giant fast food, Slide down pipes, Battle rapper bosses, Hardcore mode, Collect secret characters, Original soundtrack

**Features:** Game Controller support, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Game | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Amazing game
- 👍 Great developers
- 👍 Fantastic music
- 👍 Relaxing and fun
- 👍 Colorful and visually appealing

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Paywall after first few levels
- 🐛 Occasional performance issues
- 🐛 Compatibility problems on some devices

**Reported bugs**

- Freezing on login screen
- Graphical glitches on certain devices
- Saved data not restoring properly

**Requested features**

- Make the full game free to play
- Add more levels and worlds
- Improve level selection UI
- Allow customization of controls


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pako Highway free?

Pako Highway is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Populus Run free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pako Highway or Populus Run?

Populus Run is rated higher. Pako Highway averages 4.6 out of 5 from 694 ratings, while Populus Run averages 4.7 from 1.5K ratings.

### Do Pako Highway or Populus Run have ads?

Pako Highway shows ads; Populus Run does not.

### Which is updated more often, Pako Highway or Populus Run?

Pako Highway ships an update weekly, and Populus Run every 4 weeks. Most recently, Pako Highway was updated on October 30, 2026 and Populus Run on October 30, 2026.

---

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