Whale Trail vs Alto's Adventure
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Whale Trail
Embark on a vibrant journey as a whale, collecting items, performing aerial maneuvers, and battling enemies. Unlock new characters, enhance abilities, and explore numerous challenge levels. Enjoy a visually stunning and engaging arcade experience.
- Fly as Willow the Whale
- Collect Blubbles and earn Krill
- Unlock playable friends
- Upgrade Willow's skills
- Smash enemies
- 96 Challenge levels
- Classic and Challenge game modes
Read full descriptionHide full description
***Previously Apple Game of the Week*** 26,000+ 5 Star Ratings! (and counting) Fly as Willow the Whale, collect Blubbles, loop the loop, unlock playable friends, upgrade Willow's skills, smash enemies and meet bonkers characters along the way. ================================= > ‘The next smash hit in iOS gaming.’ - TNW > ‘The game is GORGEOUSLY cute. Try it out for a buck.’ - Gizmodo > ‘Whale Trail is an absolute joy.’ - TouchArcade > ‘The kind of winningly simple concept from which App Store phenomena are made.’ - Edge > ‘Impossible not to like, stellar production values and solid gameplay.’ - Pocket Gamer > ‘Ditch your jetpack, it’s time to ride the psychedelic Whale Trail.’ - Kotaku > ‘It’s simple and gorgeous. There’s rarely been a better gaming value for money.’ - T3 ================================= • Soundtrack by Gruff Rhys of ‘The Super Furry Animals’ • Simple and intuitive one touch gameplay • 2 game modes, Classic and Challenge • Earn Krill and use it in Willow's store • Upgrade Willow's skills • Unlock playable friends • Use 'Treats' while flying for instant bonuses! • 96 Challenge levels, can you 3 STAR them all? • Smash the Thunder Bros in 'Frenzy' mode • Launch into space at speed-boosts • Compete against friends with Game Center • Heaps of challenging missions to unlock
Alto's Adventure
Embark on an endless snowboarding journey across stunning alpine landscapes. Rescue llamas, perform tricks, and overcome obstacles in a visually captivating and tranquil experience. Discover unique characters and dynamic weather for a constantly evolving adventure.
- Physics-based gameplay
- Procedurally generated terrain
- Dynamic lighting and weather
- One-button trick system
- Combo system
- 180 handcrafted goals
- Unique snowboarders
Read full descriptionHide full description
Above the placid ivory snow lies a sleepy mountain village, brimming with the promise of adventure. "A piece of interactive art" – WIRED "Best of 2015" and "15 Most Beautiful Games" – Apple "Favorite Apps of 2015" – The New York Times "One of the best mobile games" – The Verge "Alto's Adventure demands your attention" – IGN "2015 Game of the Year" – Product Hunt "Best 2D Visual Experience" – 2015 Unity Awards Finalist "One of the best-looking games on the App Store" – VICE “The visuals really are incredible” – TouchArcade “Simply stunning” – Red Bull "Best Looking Video Games of 2015" – TIME "Wonderfully tranquil and beautiful" – Engadget "Best iPhone apps of 2015" – Mashable "I couldn't let Alto's Adventure slide by me" – Destructoid "Alto’s Adventure for iOS may be the most beautiful endless runner you’ve ever played" – The Next Web "Pristine and refined" – LA Times "An engaging, relaxing, and beautiful experience." – MacStories "Satisfies the soul" – TechCrunch "Alto's Adventure is the endless runner matured" – Kotaku "Alto’s Adventure is remarkably soothing" – The New York Observer "Favorite game of the year" – BuzzFeed "A joyous experience" – GameSpot "One of my favorite games" – AppAdvice "Alto is lovely" – Eurogamer "It’s seriously stunning" – Macworld "Alto's Adventure is a brilliant mobile game" – PocketGamer "A beautiful visual experience" – CNET "An elegant ride down nature's greatest landmarks" – Kill Screen "A compelling game to play" – The Washington Post "Every inch of this game is visually impressive and delightfully charming" – Business Insider Join Alto and his friends as they embark on an endless snowboarding odyssey. Journey across the beautiful alpine hills of their native wilderness, through neighbouring villages, ancient woodlands, and long-abandoned ruins. Along the way you'll rescue runaway llamas, grind rooftops, leap over terrifying chasms and outwit the mountain elders – all while braving the ever changing elements and passage of time upon the mountain. Features: • Fluid, graceful and exhilarating physics-based gameplay • Procedurally generated terrain based on real-world snowboarding • Fully dynamic lighting and weather effects, including thunderstorms, blizzards, fog, rainbows, shooting stars, and more • Easy to learn, difficult to master one button trick system • Chain together combos to maximize points and speed • Test your skills with 180 handcrafted goals • Discover six unique snowboarders, each with their own special attributes and abilities • Challenge your friends with Game Center. Compete for best high score, best distance, and best trick combo! • Acquire the wingsuit from Izel’s workshop for an entirely new gameplay dynamic • Beautifully minimalist and evocative visual design • Original music and handcrafted audio for an ambient and immersive experience (headphones recommended!) • Universal app with iCloud support. Play on your iPhone and iPad and your progress will always be in sync. Alto’s Adventure is a premium game with no ads or in-app purchases. Rated 3+ by the Indonesia Game Rating System (IGRS).
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Whale Trail at Free against Alto's Adventure's $4.99. Whale Trail also leads on review sentiment (95% vs 78%) and rating (4.8 vs 4.6). Alto's Adventure's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7) and ads (none vs shown). On ratings volume, device support and iOS requirement 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
Whale Trail is free to download; Alto's Adventure costs $4.99 up front. Whale Trail sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Alto's Adventure asks for nothing beyond the download.
Whale Trail holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4.3K and 2.2K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 95% of Whale Trail's written reviews are positive against 78% of Alto's Adventure's.
Whale Trail ships an update every 2 months, Alto's Adventure every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Whale Trail | Alto's Adventure |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $4.99 |
| Rating | 4.8 (4.3K ratings) — better | 4.6 (2.2K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 94.6% of reviews — better | 78.5% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 4.3K — better | 2.2K |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 4 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | #5 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 52 MB | 230 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | ustwo games | Snowman |
Customer experience
Whale Trail
Alto's Adventure
User reviews
Whale Trail
From 4.3K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🐳 Cute and fun game
- 🎶 Wonderful soundtrack
- 👍 Simple and addictive gameplay
- 🌈 Vibrant and colorful visuals
- 🕰️ Nostalgic for long-time players
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🤖 Outdated for newer devices
- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
- 🤯 Challenging and frustrating at times
Alto's Adventure
From 2.2K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🌄 Beautiful graphics and visuals
- 🎶 Relaxing and soothing soundtrack
- 🧘♀️ Calming and zen-like gameplay
- 🔓 No ads or in-app purchases
- 🕹️ Simple and intuitive controls
Room to improve
- 🤕 Frustrating difficulty spikes
- 🔍 Obstacles can be hard to see
- 🤯 Wingsuit activation issues
- 💰 Expensive for a mobile game
Bugs and requests
Whale Trail
Reported bugs
3 issues- Krill not properly credited after completing levels
- Game freezing on certain device models
- Whale controls not responsive on larger screens
Requested features
4 requests- Multiplayer mode
- More customization options for whales
- Wider screen support for newer devices
- Additional levels and worlds to explore
Alto's Adventure
Reported bugs
3 issues- Game crashes or freezes on certain devices
- Achievements not unlocking properly
- Inconsistent performance and frame rate issues
Requested features
5 requests- Add more characters and customization options
- Introduce new gameplay modes or biomes
- Allow skipping of difficult challenges
- Improve visibility and readability of UI elements
- Provide more control over the wingsuit functionality
In-app purchases
Whale Trail
- Unlock Pack 1$1.99
- Unlock Pack 2$1.99
- Pocket Money$1.99
Show 4 moreShow fewer
- Unlock Pack 3$1.99
- Bucket Full$2.99
- Serious Clams$6.99
- Swimming In It$19.99
Alto's Adventure
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Whale Trail free?
Is Alto's Adventure free?
Which has better reviews, Whale Trail or Alto's Adventure?
Do Whale Trail or Alto's Adventure have ads?
Which is updated more often, Whale Trail or Alto's Adventure?
Other comparisons















