# Subway Surfers vs Bears vs. Art

The clearest difference is monetization model: Subway Surfers at free with in-app purchases against Bears vs. Art's subscription. Subway Surfers also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (3.9M vs 137). Bears vs. Art's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Subway Surfers sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Bears vs. Art sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. 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 4.6 for Bears vs. Art. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Subway Surfers has 3.9M ratings behind it against 137, 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 85% of Bears vs. Art's.

Subway Surfers ships an update weekly, Bears vs. Art every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Subway Surfers | Bears vs. Art |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (3.9M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/subway-surfers/id512939461/reviews)** | [4.6 (137 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bears-vs-art/id708779888/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3.9M** | 137 |
| Positive reviews | **86.6% of reviews** | 84.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | **#6** | — |
| Size | 394 MB | 148 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Sybo Games ApS](https://appshunter.io/developer/471259040) | [Halfbrick](https://appshunter.io/developer/356994313) |

## What reviewers say

### Subway Surfers

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

**Currently charting:** #6 Top Free · Action, #21 Top Free · Casual, #40 Top Free · Games, #99 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


### Bears vs. Art

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bears-vs-art/id708779888)

Join a bear's quest to destroy abstract art in galleries. Solve 125 unique puzzles, overcome security traps, and enjoy an ad-free, premium gaming experience. Unlock special abilities and explore endless challenges.

**Highlights:** 125 puzzles, Destroy abstract art, Avoid cunning traps, Infinite mode, Collect colorful costumes, Exclusive premium version

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Halfbrick+ | $2.99 | per month |
| Halfbrick+ (Early Adopter) | $2.99 | per month |
| Halfbrick+ (Trial) | $2.99 | per month |
| Halfbrick+ (Yearly discount) | $2.99 | per month |
| Halfbrick+ | $29.99 | per year |
| Halfbrick+ | $29.99 | per year |
| Halfbrick+ | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🐻 Cute and fun game
- 🧠 Challenging puzzles
- 🎨 Unique concept of destroying art
- 👍 Addictive and enjoyable gameplay
- 🎨 Humorous and witty commentary

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
- ⏱️ Limited play time due to energy system
- 🐛 Crashes and bugs
- 🔁 Repetitive levels and lack of progression

**Reported bugs**

- Game resets progress after updates
- Crashes and freezes on certain devices
- Connectivity issues and server problems

**Requested features**

- More levels and content updates
- Ability to continue progress across devices
- Removal of energy system or more generous refills


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Subway Surfers free?

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

### Is Bears vs. Art free?

Bears vs. Art is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Subway Surfers or Bears vs. Art?

Subway Surfers is rated higher. Subway Surfers averages 4.6 out of 5 from 3.9M ratings, while Bears vs. Art averages 4.6 from 137 ratings.

### Do Subway Surfers or Bears vs. Art have ads?

Subway Surfers shows ads; Bears vs. Art does not.

### Which is updated more often, Subway Surfers or Bears vs. Art?

Subway Surfers ships an update weekly, and Bears vs. Art every 2 months. Most recently, Subway Surfers was updated on November 7, 2026 and Bears vs. Art on November 3, 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.*