Comparison

Subway Surfers vs Archero

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

Head to head
About

Subway Surfers

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
Read full description

DASH as fast as you can! DODGE the oncoming trains! Help Jake, Tricky & Fresh escape from the grumpy Guard and his dog. - Grind trains with your cool crew! - Colorful and vivid HD graphics! - Hoverboard Surfing! - Paint powered jetpack! - Lightning fast swipe acrobatics! - Challenge and help your friends! Join the App Store's most daring chase! A Universal App with HD optimized graphics for retina resolution. Originally co-developed by SYBO and Kiloo.

About

Archero

Embark on an epic adventure as a lone archer, battling relentless waves of monsters and overcoming challenging obstacles. Discover unique skill combinations and explore diverse worlds to survive the onslaught. Prepare for a roguelike experience where every run is different.

Highlights
  • Random and unique skill combinations
  • Explore diverse worlds and maps
  • Defeat thousands of monsters and obstacles
  • Level-up and equip powerful gear
  • Dungeon crawling gameplay
Features
Read full description

Archer Heroes! Enter a world where existence itself is out to eliminate you! You are the Lone Archer, the only force able to resist and defeat the oncoming waves of evil. Step up, stack up awesome skills and fight like your life depends on it, for the never-ending waves of enemies will never give up. And remember, once you die... the only way is to start all again! So be careful! Enjoy creating countless combinations of unique skills all designed to help you survive. Crawl your way through different worlds facing relentless monsters and obstacles. Key Features: • Random and unique skills to help you crawl these dungeons. • Explore beautiful worlds and hundreds of maps in this new universe. • Thousands of never-seen-before monsters and mind-boggling obstacles to defeat • Level-up and equip yourself with powerful equipment to increase your stats. If you have any questions, feel free to ask us anytime at: archero@habby.fun Details on Subscriptions 1. Subscription Pricing & Billing You can subscribe within the game for ‘Subscription Privileges’, for $2.99 a calendar month. 2. Subscription Content Subscribers can enjoy the following privileges during the period: - Daily Quick Raids +3 - Daily BattlePass XP +50 - Daily Bonus Gems +50 3. Auto Renewals The App Store Subscription feature renews automatically via your iTunes Account. Users can manage the subscription through your iTunes/Apple ID Settings Manager. The subscription will auto-renew for the assigned billing period if the auto-renew feature is not turned off 24 hours before the current subscription expires. 4. User Agreement and Privacy Policy User Agreement https://www.habby.com/termsOfSubscription.html Privacy Statement https://www.habby.fun/privacyPolicy.html 5. Subscription Cancellation If you would like to cancel your subscription, go to ‘Settings’ on your iOS device --> ‘iTunes & App Store’ --> tap ‘Apple ID’ and then ‘View Apple ID’. Enter ‘Account Settings’, tap ‘Subscriptions’ --> ‘Manage’ and select the subscription for ‘Archero’ to cancel it.

Screenshots

Subway Surfers4 screens
Archero4 screens

Verdict

The call

Subway Surfers and Archero both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 87% of Subway Surfers's written reviews are positive against 46% of Archero's. Subway Surfers also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and ratings volume (3.8M vs 470K). Archero's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases 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

Both are free to download. Subway Surfers sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Archero sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Subway Surfers against 4.7 for Archero. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Subway Surfers has 3.8M ratings behind it against 470K, 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 46% of Archero's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Subway Surfers ships an update weekly, Archero every 9 days. Both last shipped on September 25, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Subway Surfers versus Archero: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSubway SurfersArchero
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (3.8M ratings)4.7 (470K ratings) — better
Positive reviews86.5% of reviews — better45.6% of reviews
Number of ratings3.8M — better470K
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 9 days
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
Best chart rank#5 — better#68
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.013.0
Further details — not scored
Size407 MB1.6 GB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperSybo Games ApSHABBY

Customer experience

Subway Surfers

All ratings3,837,286 ratings
Positive91.7%
Neutral3.5%
Negative4.8%
Written reviews10,262 reviews
Positive86.5%
Neutral4.8%
Negative8.6%

Archero

All ratings470,466 ratings
Positive92.2%
Neutral3.4%
Negative4.5%
Written reviews816 reviews
Positive45.6%
Neutral13.4%
Negative41.1%

User reviews

Subway Surfers

From 3.8M App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Archero

From 470K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent gameplay
  • 👍 Optional ads for rewards
  • 🚀 Smooth and responsive
  • 👍 Engaging and addictive
  • 🚀 Frequent updates

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Connectivity issues
  • 🔋 Energy system too restrictive
  • 💰 Progression gated by pay-to-win mechanics
  • 🐛 Buggy and glitchy at times
  • 💰 Expensive in-app purchases

Bugs and requests

Subway Surfers

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

5 requests
  • 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

Archero

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Ads not loading properly
  • Progression data loss or reset
  • Hitbox and collision detection issues
  • Certain levels or bosses unbeatable

Requested features

5 requests
  • Multiplayer or co-op mode
  • More varied level and enemy design
  • Ability to reroll or select power-ups
  • Increased drop rates for better gear
  • Reduced energy requirements or removal of system

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Subway Surfers

One-time10
  • 7,500 Coins$0.99
  • 12 500 Coins$0.99
  • Starter Pack$0.99
Show 7 more
  • Coin Pack 1$0.99
  • 45,000 Coins$4.99
  • Double Coins$4.99
  • 65 000 Coins$4.99
  • 25 Keys$4.99
  • 40 Keys$4.99
  • Key Pack 1$4.99
11 purchases

Archero

Subscriptions1
  • Monthly Card3 Days trial$2.991 Month
One-time10
  • Pile of Gems$0.99
  • Growth Pack$0.99
  • Lucky Ball Pack01$0.99
Show 7 more
  • Value Pack for First Purchase$1.99
  • Value Pack for C1$1.99
  • Heap of Gems$4.99
  • Battle Pass$4.99
  • Value Pack for Chapter 2$6.99
  • Value Pack for Chapter 3$9.99
  • Battle Pass 2$16.99

Questions

Is Subway Surfers free?
Subway Surfers is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Archero free?
Archero is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Subway Surfers or Archero?
Archero is rated higher. Subway Surfers averages 4.6 out of 5 from 3.8M ratings, while Archero averages 4.7 from 470K ratings.
Do Subway Surfers or Archero have ads?
Subway Surfers shows ads; Archero does not.
Which is updated more often, Subway Surfers or Archero?
Subway Surfers ships an update weekly, and Archero every 9 days. Most recently, Subway Surfers was updated on September 25, 2026 and Archero on September 25, 2026.
Which is more popular, Subway Surfers or Archero?
Subway Surfers currently peaks at #5 in the App Store charts, and Archero at #68. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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