# Subway Surfers vs Balls.io 3D

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Subway Surfers at 3.9M against Balls.io 3D's 364. Subway Surfers also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 4 weeks) and chart position (#7 vs unranked). Balls.io 3D's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Subway Surfers sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Balls.io 3D sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. 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 Balls.io 3D. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Subway Surfers has 3.9M ratings behind it against 364, 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 80% of Balls.io 3D's.

Subway Surfers ships an update weekly, Balls.io 3D every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Subway Surfers | Balls.io 3D |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (3.9M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/subway-surfers/id512939461/reviews) | **[4.7 (364 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ballsio-3d/id1510185527/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3.9M** | 364 |
| Positive reviews | **86.5% of reviews** | 80.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 4 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#7** | — |
| Size | 392 MB | 69 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sybo Games ApS](https://appshunter.io/developer/471259040) | [Akbari Bhaveshbhai](https://appshunter.io/developer/1491355688) |

## What reviewers say

### Subway Surfers

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

**Currently charting:** #7 Top Free · Action, #22 Top Free · Casual, #42 Top Free · Games, #114 Top Grossing · Action (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


### Balls.io 3D

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ballsio-3d/id1510185527)

Embark on a thrilling 3D parkour race where you guide a ball through challenging obstacle courses. Avoid objects of different colors to survive and advance. Collect cash to unlock new elements and characters in this exciting adventure.

**Highlights:** 3D ball racing adventure, Obstacle avoidance gameplay, Smooth swipe controls, Unlockable characters and elements, Challenging levels and stampedes, Attractive graphics

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| NO ADS | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Subway Surfers free?

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

### Is Balls.io 3D free?

Balls.io 3D is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Subway Surfers or Balls.io 3D?

Balls.io 3D is rated higher. Subway Surfers averages 4.6 out of 5 from 3.9M ratings, while Balls.io 3D averages 4.7 from 364 ratings.

### Do Subway Surfers or Balls.io 3D have ads?

Both Subway Surfers and Balls.io 3D show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Subway Surfers or Balls.io 3D?

Subway Surfers ships an update weekly, and Balls.io 3D every 4 weeks. Most recently, Subway Surfers was updated on October 30, 2026 and Balls.io 3D 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.*