# Subway Surfers vs Pop Cat

The clearest difference is ads: Pop Cat at none against Subway Surfers's shown. Subway Surfers's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 9 months) and ratings volume (3.9M vs 221). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Subway Surfers sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Pop Cat 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 4.5 for Pop Cat. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Subway Surfers has 3.9M ratings behind it against 221, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 87% of Subway Surfers's written reviews are positive against 70% of Pop Cat's.

Subway Surfers ships an update weekly, Pop Cat every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Subway Surfers | Pop Cat |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (3.9M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/subway-surfers/id512939461/reviews)** | [4.5 (221 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pop-cat/id1242825167/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3.9M** | 221 |
| Positive reviews | **86.5% of reviews** | 69.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#7** | — |
| Size | 392 MB | 40 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sybo Games ApS](https://appshunter.io/developer/471259040) | [Shanghai Zhenglang Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/492012994) |

## What reviewers say

### Subway Surfers

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

**Currently charting:** #7 Top Free · Action, #17 Top Free · Casual, #36 Top Free · Games, #112 Top Grossing · Action, #206 Top Free (US App Store)

Embark on an exhilarating endless running adventure. Dash through vibrant environments, dodge obstacles, and outrun pursuers. Utilize power-ups like jetpacks and hoverboards to enhance your escape and achieve high scores.

**Highlights:** Endless running gameplay, Dodge oncoming trains, Grind trains, Colorful HD graphics, Hoverboard surfing, Paint powered jetpack

**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


### Pop Cat

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pop-cat/id1242825167)

An addictive puzzle game where you tap matching cat tiles to clear them. Train your brain and relax with over 1000 puzzles. No time limits, just blast cats to reach target scores.

**Highlights:** Tap matching cat tiles, No time limit, Reach target scores, New bubble blocks with 5 cat styles, Magic fish power-up

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 28 Gold Coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| 24 Gold Coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| 140 Gold Coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| 420 Gold Coins | $9.99 | one-time |
| 320 Gold Coins | $9.99 | one-time |
| 920 Gold Coins | $19.99 | one-time |
| 720 Gold Coins | $19.99 | one-time |
| 3050 Gold Coins | $49.99 | one-time |
| 2400 Gold Coins | $49.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Subway Surfers free?

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

### Is Pop Cat free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Subway Surfers or Pop Cat?

Subway Surfers is rated higher. Subway Surfers averages 4.6 out of 5 from 3.9M ratings, while Pop Cat averages 4.5 from 221 ratings.

### Do Subway Surfers or Pop Cat have ads?

Subway Surfers shows ads; Pop Cat does not.

### Which is updated more often, Subway Surfers or Pop Cat?

Subway Surfers ships an update weekly, and Pop Cat every 9 months. Most recently, Subway Surfers was updated on October 31, 2026 and Pop Cat on October 29, 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.*