# Plague Inc. vs Papers, Please

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Papers, Please at none against Plague Inc.'s 10. Papers, Please also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.0). Plague Inc.'s advantage is ratings volume (167K vs 1.2K) and price ($0.99 vs $4.99). On rating, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Plague Inc. costs $0.99 and Papers, Please $4.99 up front. Plague Inc. sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Papers, Please asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Plague Inc. against 4.7 for Papers, Please. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Plague Inc. has 167K ratings behind it against 1.2K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 76% of Plague Inc.'s written reviews are positive against 80% of Papers, Please's.

Plague Inc. ships an update every 2 months, Papers, Please weekly. Both last shipped on October 19, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Plague Inc. | Papers, Please |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$0.99** | $4.99 |
| Rating | **[4.8 (167K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plague-inc/id525818839/reviews)** | [4.7 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/papers-please/id935216956/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **167K** | 1.2K |
| Positive reviews | 76.1% of reviews | **79.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | #4 |
| Size | 116 MB | 62 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Ndemic Creations](https://appshunter.io/developer/525818842) | [3909](https://appshunter.io/developer/541419307) |

## What reviewers say

### Plague Inc.

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plague-inc/id525818839)

**Currently charting:** #1 Top Paid · Strategy, #2 Top Paid · Simulation, #4 Top Paid · Games, #5 Top Paid, #186 Top Grossing · Strategy (US App Store)

A strategic simulation game where you evolve a deadly pathogen to infect the world and end humanity. Adapt your plague against global defenses and master different disease types to achieve victory. It's a high-stakes battle of strategy against the entire planet.

**Highlights:** Evolve deadly global plagues, Adapt against human defenses, Master 12 disease types, Infect 50+ countries, Hundreds of traits to evolve, Daily Diseases and Outbreak Mode

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock Virus | $0.99 | one-time |
| Neurax Worm Expansion Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Necroa Virus Expansion Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Simian Flu Expansion Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Shadow Plague Expansion Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Unlock 7 Standard Plagues | $2.99 | one-time |
| Scenario Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Unlock All Genes | $7.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Cheats | $9.99 | one-time |
| Plague Pack | $12.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Addictive gameplay
- 🤔 Challenging and thought-provoking
- 👍 Realistic disease simulation
- 💡 Unique scenarios and special disease types
- 🎨 Immersive graphics and audio

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
- 🕰️ Slow progression without paying
- 🐛 Inconsistent game mechanics
- 🤖 Unrealistic cure development
- 🤔 Lack of multiplayer mode

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to restore purchased content
- Glitches with certain disease types
- Inconsistent DNA point rewards
- Sudden difficulty spikes on normal mode

**Requested features**

- Multiplayer mode (player vs player)
- More realistic cure distribution and development
- Ability to customize game scenarios
- Expanded free content without paywall
- Improved progression for free-to-play users


### Papers, Please

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/papers-please/id935216956)

**Currently charting:** #4 Top Paid · Role Playing, #15 Top Paid · Simulation, #37 Top Paid · Games, #53 Top Paid (US App Store)

Step into the shoes of a border inspector in a dystopian communist state. Examine documents, interrogate travelers, and decide who is allowed to enter. Your choices impact your family's survival and the fate of the nation.

**Highlights:** Dystopian border inspector simulation, Document examination and verification, Interrogation and decision-making, Multiple endings based on choices, Unlockable multitouch support, Game Center achievements and leaderboards

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Plague Inc. free?

Plague Inc. costs $0.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Papers, Please free?

Papers, Please costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Plague Inc. or Papers, Please?

Plague Inc. is rated higher. Plague Inc. averages 4.8 out of 5 from 167K ratings, while Papers, Please averages 4.7 from 1.2K ratings.

### Do Plague Inc. or Papers, Please have ads?

Neither Plague Inc. nor Papers, Please shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Plague Inc. or Papers, Please?

Plague Inc. ships an update every 2 months, and Papers, Please weekly. Most recently, Plague Inc. was updated on October 19, 2026 and Papers, Please on October 19, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Plague Inc. or Papers, Please?

Plague Inc. currently peaks at #1 in the App Store charts, and Papers, Please at #4. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*