Comparison

Subway Surfers vs Escalators

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

Escalators

Guide people onto boats by strategically using escalators. Navigate the flow of passengers to ensure efficient boarding and clear the docks.

Highlights
  • Escalator movement
  • People guiding
  • Boat boarding
  • Dock clearing
  • Strategic placement
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Use the escalators to move the people into the boats

Screenshots

Subway Surfers4 screens
Escalators4 screens

Verdict

The call

Subway Surfers and Escalators both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 87% of Subway Surfers's written reviews are positive against 27% of Escalators's. Subway Surfers also leads on ratings volume (3.8M vs 40K) and chart position (#5 vs unranked). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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 Escalators sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Subway Surfers holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Subway Surfers has 3.8M ratings behind it against 40K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 87% of Subway Surfers's written reviews are positive against 27% of Escalators's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Subway Surfers ships an update weekly, Escalators every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on September 25, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
Subway Surfers versus Escalators: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSubway SurfersEscalators
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (3.8M ratings) — better4.4 (40K ratings)
Positive reviews86.5% of reviews — better26.8% of reviews
Number of ratings3.8M — better40K
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#5 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size407 MB410 MB
Age rating9+12+
DeveloperSybo Games ApSSUPERSONIC STUDIOS LTD

Customer experience

Subway Surfers

All ratings3,837,286 ratings
Positive91.7%
Neutral3.5%
Negative4.8%
Written reviews10,325 reviews
Positive86.5%
Neutral4.9%
Negative8.6%

Escalators

All ratings39,579 ratings
Positive84.8%
Neutral5.7%
Negative9.5%
Written reviews295 reviews
Positive26.8%
Neutral15.9%
Negative57.3%

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

Escalators

From 40K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fun game concept
  • 👍 Satisfying gameplay
  • 💡 Different game modes

Room to improve

  • 🔥 Excessive ads
  • 🐛 Frequent glitches and crashes
  • 🔋 Game performance issues

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

Escalators

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • People getting stuck on escalators
  • Game freezing when too many people
  • Multiplier not working as expected

Requested features

3 requests
  • Reduce frequency of ads
  • Improve game stability and performance
  • Add more level variety and challenges

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
2 purchases

Escalators

One-time2
  • No Ads$3.99
  • Holiday Bundle$4.99

Questions

Is Subway Surfers free?
Subway Surfers is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Escalators free?
Escalators is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Subway Surfers or Escalators?
Subway Surfers is rated higher. Subway Surfers averages 4.6 out of 5 from 3.8M ratings, while Escalators averages 4.4 from 40K ratings.
Do Subway Surfers or Escalators have ads?
Both Subway Surfers and Escalators show ads.
Which is updated more often, Subway Surfers or Escalators?
Subway Surfers ships an update weekly, and Escalators every 2 weeks. Most recently, Subway Surfers was updated on September 25, 2026 and Escalators on September 25, 2026.

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