# Subway Surfers vs Gardenscapes

Subway Surfers and Gardenscapes both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 87% of Subway Surfers's written reviews are positive against 34% of Gardenscapes's. Subway Surfers also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). Gardenscapes's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Subway Surfers sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Gardenscapes sells 9 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Subway Surfers against 4.7 for Gardenscapes. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3.9M and 1.7M respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 87% of Subway Surfers's written reviews are positive against 34% of Gardenscapes's.

Subway Surfers ships an update weekly, Gardenscapes every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on November 11, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Subway Surfers | Gardenscapes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (3.9M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/subway-surfers/id512939461/reviews) | **[4.7 (1.7M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gardenscapes/id1105855019/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3.9M** | 1.7M |
| Positive reviews | **86.6% of reviews** | 33.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #7 | **#6** |
| Size | 395 MB | 285 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Sybo Games ApS](https://appshunter.io/developer/471259040) | [Playrix](https://appshunter.io/developer/1162116447) |

## What reviewers say

### Subway Surfers

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/subway-surfers/id512939461)

**Currently charting:** #7 Top Free · Action, #18 Top Free · Casual, #38 Top Free · Games, #114 Top Grossing · Action (US App Store)

Embark on an exhilarating endless running adventure, dodging trains and outsmarting a persistent guard. Utilize hoverboards, jetpacks, and acrobatic moves to achieve high scores and compete with friends in this visually vibrant game.

**Highlights:** Endless running gameplay, Dodge oncoming trains, Grind on trains, Hoverboard surfing, Paint-powered jetpack, Fast swipe acrobatics, Challenge friends

**Features:** iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 7,500 Coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| 12 500 Coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Coin Pack 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| 45,000 Coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| Double Coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| 65 000 Coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| 25 Keys | $4.99 | one-time |
| 40 Keys | $4.99 | one-time |
| Key Pack 1 | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Addictive and fun gameplay
- 📱 Works well offline
- 🎨 Diverse characters and themes
- 🎢 Challenging and fast-paced
- 🎁 Rewarding progression system

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
- 🕰️ Frequent updates can be disruptive
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🕹️ Difficulty controlling character at times
- 🔍 Lack of save/sync across devices

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes after updates
- Disappearing high scores and progress
- Unresponsive controls during gameplay
- Ads that redirect to App Store unexpectedly

**Requested features**

- Ability to save progress across devices
- More customization options for characters
- Difficulty settings or modes
- Multiplayer/competitive features
- Reduced ad frequency or ad-free option


### Gardenscapes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gardenscapes/id1105855019)

**Currently charting:** #6 Top Grossing · Casual, #6 Top Grossing · Puzzle, #16 Top Grossing · Games, #27 Top Free · Casual, #30 Top Free · Puzzle, #53 Top Free · Games, #56 Top Grossing (US App Store)

Solve match-3 puzzles to restore and decorate a beautiful garden. Uncover an engaging storyline, meet charming characters, and explore unique garden areas. Enjoy over 16,000 levels with exciting events and challenges.

**Highlights:** Match-3 puzzle gameplay, Garden decoration and restoration, Engaging storyline, Over 16,000 levels, Exciting in-game events, Collectible pets

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1000 Coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| Garden Kit | $1.99 | one-time |
| 1000 Coins | $1.99 | one-time |
| Hot Offer | $1.99 | one-time |
| Gold Reserve | $2.99 | one-time |
| Golden ticket | $4.99 | one-time |
| Botanist Kit | $5.99 | one-time |
| Season Pass | $9.99 | one-time |
| Florist Kit | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌳 Beautiful graphics and garden design
- 🕹️ Enjoyable and relaxing gameplay
- 🕰️ Calming background music
- 🐶 Cute pet companion (dog)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤯 Frustratingly difficult levels
- 💰 Game feels designed to push in-app purchases
- ⏱️ Slow progress and high star requirements
- 🤖 Racist portrayal of Asian character

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashing and progress loss issues
- Boosters not working as intended
- Inconsistent difficulty across levels

**Requested features**

- Ability to skip challenging levels
- More ways to earn coins and power-ups
- Option to customize garden more freely
- Faster energy/life regeneration


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Subway Surfers free?

Subway Surfers is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Gardenscapes free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Subway Surfers or Gardenscapes?

Gardenscapes is rated higher. Subway Surfers averages 4.6 out of 5 from 3.9M ratings, while Gardenscapes averages 4.7 from 1.7M ratings.

### Do Subway Surfers or Gardenscapes have ads?

Subway Surfers shows ads; Gardenscapes does not.

### Which is updated more often, Subway Surfers or Gardenscapes?

Subway Surfers ships an update weekly, and Gardenscapes every 3 weeks. Most recently, Subway Surfers was updated on November 11, 2026 and Gardenscapes on November 11, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Subway Surfers or Gardenscapes?

Subway Surfers currently peaks at #7 in the App Store charts, and Gardenscapes at #6. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*