Comparison

Canabalt vs Simple Match 3

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • One-button controls
  • Infinite runner gameplay
  • New game modes
  • Multiple characters
  • High score chasing
  • Two-player option
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

"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

About

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.

Highlights
  • No ads or subscriptions
  • Hundreds of unique tiles
  • Customizable appearance
  • Daily levels with leaderboards
  • Zen Mode for relaxation
  • Satisfying visual effects
  • Achievements and boosters
Features
Read full description

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

Canabalt4 screens
Simple Match 34 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Canabalt versus Simple Match 3: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCanabaltSimple Match 3
Price$2.99$1.99 — better
Rating4.3 (84 ratings)4.8 (258 ratings) — better
Positive reviews68.1% of reviews89.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings84258 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#161#87 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.2 — better14.0
Further details — not scored
Size27 MB463 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperFinjiMulberry Tree Games, LLC

Customer experience

Canabalt

All ratings82 ratings
Positive79.3%
Neutral9.8%
Negative11.0%
Written reviews364 reviews
Positive68.1%
Neutral11.8%
Negative20.1%

Simple Match 3

All ratings247 ratings
Positive93.9%
Neutral2.8%
Negative3.2%
Written reviews195 reviews
Positive89.7%
Neutral6.2%
Negative4.1%

User reviews

Canabalt

From 84 App Store ratings

What 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 ratings

What 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
Show 1 more
  • iCloud Sync Across Devices

In-app purchases

None

Canabalt

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Simple Match 3

One-time1
  • Simple Match 3 Gold$1.99

Questions

Is Canabalt free?
Canabalt costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Simple Match 3 free?
Simple Match 3 costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Canabalt or Simple Match 3?
Simple Match 3 is rated higher. Canabalt averages 4.3 out of 5 from 84 ratings, while Simple Match 3 averages 4.8 from 258 ratings.
Do Canabalt or Simple Match 3 have ads?
Neither Canabalt nor Simple Match 3 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Canabalt or Simple Match 3?
Canabalt ships an update every 2 months, and Simple Match 3 weekly. Most recently, Canabalt was updated on October 29, 2026 and Simple Match 3 on October 27, 2026.
Which is more popular, Canabalt or Simple Match 3?
Canabalt currently peaks at #161 in the App Store charts, and Simple Match 3 at #87. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

Other comparisons