Canabalt vs Simple Match 3
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Canabalt
Escape a collapsing city by running and jumping with a single button. This classic infinite runner offers new game modes, multiple characters, and a thrilling race for survival.
- One-button controls
- Infinite runner gameplay
- New game modes
- Multiple characters
- High score chasing
- Two-player option
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"Fantastic... Super-simple, pixel-perfect, great music and sound." - daringfireball.net "Canabalt is pure genius." -necessarygames.com Escape the destruction of your city with just one button! The game that popularized the infinite runner genre is back with new game modes and support for every dang phone and tablet thingy! ------------------------- "This "daring escape" platformer is simply beautiful and beautifully simple." -Kotaku "It's going to be quite some time before you find something so simple so thrilling again." -Offworld "Canabalt is actually much more intense than you'd assume of a game which requires a single finger to play." -GameSpy ------------------------- Play any of the 8 new game modes with one or two players, dash across rooftops with four different runners, or just chase that high score in the classic futile race for survival. ------------------------- "It's all very lovely and full of poignant subtext. And awesomeness. Canabalt is a prime example of a simple idea executed extremely well." -JayIsGames "I have never seen a concept so richly and successfully realized in such a simple yet stunningly complete form. Canabalt represents the power and potential of small independent games." -gameinmind.com "Music is another component that is just perfect - it enhances the strange and unsettling setting of the game and also gives a sense of speed with a hint of hope that quick feet might be the salvation to the horror." -bartsnews.net
Simple Match 3
This is a relaxing puzzle game where you swap tiles to make matches of three. Unlock hundreds of unique tiles, customize your game's appearance, and enjoy satisfying effects. It offers a peaceful experience without ads or excessive story elements.
- No ads or subscriptions
- Hundreds of unique tiles
- Customizable appearance
- Daily levels with leaderboards
- Zen Mode for relaxation
- Satisfying visual effects
- Achievements and boosters
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Simple Match 3 is a relaxing and challenging puzzle game with absolutely no ads. Swap tiles and make matches of 3 to clear levels. Unlock hundreds of unique tiles and customize to fit your style. Discover a variety of different elements and mechanics as you progress through the game. Use satisfying boosters and power ups. Unlike most match-3 games, Simple Match 3 was created to give players a relaxing and satisfying experience, without annoying ads, obnoxious effects, or time wasting story elements. FEATURES: No ads: Absolutely no ads or subscription purchases. The base price includes 350 levels, a unique daily level with leaderboard, and zen mode. 1 small in-app purchase unlocks even more. Customization: Customize to your heart’s content with hundreds of different tiles and lots of different background colors. You can even choose the color of the user interface buttons to match your theme! Daily Level: Play a unique level every single day. Try to make it to the top of the online leaderboard! Zen Mode: Relax and make matches with no move limits, no goals, and limited obstacles in Zen Mode. Satisfying experience: Enjoy super satisfying effects as you clear tiles, smash through crates, destroy glass, and more! The effects were created to be satisfying, without being too obnoxious or overwhelming. Achievements: Complete a variety of achievements to unlock more tiles. Boosters: Spin the prize wheel every day to gain boosters. You can also get even more boosters by completing the daily goal. Handcrafted levels: Play through 350 handcrafted levels and try to earn 3 stars. Some levels are simple, others are more challenging. Discover a variety of unique elements as you progress. If you want more, 1 small in app purchase unlocks 350 more levels. Created with love and care: Developed by a single person with care. Levels are designed to be fun, challenging, and satisfying without the need to purchase endless boosters. Download Simple Match 3 today and see what makes it so special!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Canabalt at none against Simple Match 3's 1. Canabalt also leads on iOS requirement (9.2 vs 14.0). Simple Match 3's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.3) and update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). On ads, monetization model, chart position 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
Canabalt costs $2.99 and Simple Match 3 $1.99 up front. Simple Match 3 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Canabalt asks for nothing beyond the download.
Simple Match 3 holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 84 and 258 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 68% of Canabalt's written reviews are positive against 90% of Simple Match 3's.
Canabalt ships an update every 2 months, Simple Match 3 weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Canabalt | Simple Match 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 | $1.99 — better |
| Rating | 4.3 (84 ratings) | 4.8 (258 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 68.1% of reviews | 89.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 84 | 258 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #161 | #87 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 9.2 — better | 14.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 27 MB | 463 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Finji | Mulberry Tree Games, LLC |
Customer experience
Canabalt
Simple Match 3
User reviews
Canabalt
From 84 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Simple yet addictive gameplay
- 👍 Atmospheric music and sound effects
- 🎨 Unique retro pixel art style
- 💡 Randomized obstacles for replayability
Room to improve
- 💰 Expensive for a simple game
- 🔍 Lack of screen optimization for newer devices
- 🔇 No option to disable music
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
Simple Match 3
From 258 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Best Match 3 Game
- 👍 Calming and Engaging
- 🔒 No Ads or IAPs
- 👍 Customizable Tiles
- 👍 Relaxing Music and Sound Effects
Room to improve
- 🐛 Bugs in Higher Levels
- 🐛 Impossible Levels Due to Missing Obstacles
- 🐛 Soft Locks with Rainbow Tiles
- 🐛 Reward Box Tapping Issue
- 🐛 Inconsistent Star Rating System
Bugs and requests
Canabalt
Reported bugs
3 issues- Crashes on iOS 14
- Sound effects not working on some devices
- High scores not displaying correctly
Requested features
4 requests- Ability to turn off music
- More game modes and levels
- Online leaderboards and achievements
- Controller support
Simple Match 3
Reported bugs
5 issues- Levels with Missing Obstacles
- Reward Box Tapping Issue
- Inconsistent Star Rating System
- Soft Locks with Rainbow Tiles
- Crashes on Opening
Requested features
6 requests- Level Editor
- Endless/Survival Mode
- Improved Power-Up Interactions
- Hints or Shuffle Option
- Landscape Support for iPad
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- iCloud Sync Across Devices
In-app purchases
Canabalt
No in-app purchases
Simple Match 3
- Simple Match 3 Gold$1.99








