# Canabalt vs Pocket8

The clearest difference is price: Pocket8 at Free against Canabalt's $2.99. Pocket8 also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 2 months). Canabalt's advantage is chart position (#103 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (9.2 vs 15.0). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Pocket8 is free to download; Canabalt costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Pocket8 holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 85 and 42 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 68% of Canabalt's written reviews are positive against 67% of Pocket8's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Canabalt ships an update every 2 months, Pocket8 daily. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Canabalt | Pocket8 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.3 (85 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/canabalt/id333180061/reviews) | **[4.5 (42 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket8/id6758171942/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **85** | 42 |
| Positive reviews | **67.9% of reviews** | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#103** | — |
| Size | 27 MB | 24 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.2** | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Finji](https://appshunter.io/developer/287712246) | [Jevon Lipsey](https://appshunter.io/developer/1864554839) |

## What reviewers say

### Canabalt

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/canabalt/id333180061)

**Currently charting:** #103 Top Paid · Casual, #181 Top Paid · Action (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Simple yet addictive gameplay
- 👍 Atmospheric music and sound effects
- 🎨 Unique retro pixel art style
- 💡 Randomized obstacles for replayability

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive for a simple game
- 🔍 Lack of screen optimization for newer devices
- 🔇 No option to disable music
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on iOS 14
- Sound effects not working on some devices
- High scores not displaying correctly

**Requested features**

- Ability to turn off music
- More game modes and levels
- Online leaderboards and achievements
- Controller support


### Pocket8

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket8/id6758171942)

This app brings the PICO-8 fantasy console experience to your mobile device, offering access to thousands of community-made games. Enjoy customizable touch controls or gamepad support, and never lose progress with an instant save system.

**Highlights:** Browse and play community-made PICO-8 games, Customizable touch controls and gamepad support, Instant save states for unlimited progress saving, Portrait and landscape orientation support, Locked 60FPS gameplay

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Canabalt free?

Canabalt costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Pocket8 free?

Pocket8 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Canabalt or Pocket8?

Pocket8 is rated higher. Canabalt averages 4.3 out of 5 from 85 ratings, while Pocket8 averages 4.5 from 42 ratings.

### Do Canabalt or Pocket8 have ads?

Neither Canabalt nor Pocket8 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Canabalt or Pocket8?

Canabalt ships an update every 2 months, and Pocket8 daily. Most recently, Canabalt was updated on November 10, 2026 and Pocket8 on November 13, 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.*