# Hill Climb Racing vs Payback 2

Hill Climb Racing and Payback 2 both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 85% of Payback 2's written reviews are positive against 62% of Hill Climb Racing's. Payback 2 also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). Hill Climb Racing's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months) and chart position (#9 vs #112). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hill Climb Racing sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Payback 2 sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Payback 2 holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 139K and 55K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 62% of Hill Climb Racing's written reviews are positive against 85% of Payback 2's.

Hill Climb Racing ships an update every 3 weeks, Payback 2 every 2 months. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hill Climb Racing | Payback 2 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (139K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hill-climb-racing/id564540143/reviews) | **[4.7 (55K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/payback-2/id570426586/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **139K** | 55K |
| Positive reviews | 62.2% of reviews | **85.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#9** | #112 |
| Size | 201 MB | 179 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Fingersoft](https://appshunter.io/developer/514034278) | [Apex Designs Games LLP](https://appshunter.io/developer/1684922634) |

## What reviewers say

### Hill Climb Racing

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hill-climb-racing/id564540143)

**Currently charting:** #9 Top Free · Racing, #22 Top Grossing · Racing, #42 Top Free · Action, #133 Top Grossing · Action (US App Store)

Race uphill in a physics-based driving game with a variety of vehicles and challenging environments. Earn coins to upgrade your car and unlock new stages, all playable offline.

**Highlights:** Physics-based driving, Offline play, Variety of vehicles, Unlock and upgrade cars, Challenging stages, Daily challenges and events

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 150 000 coins | $1.99 | one-time |
| Small Coin Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Small Gem Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| 300 000 coins | $2.99 | one-time |
| Special offer: 20 000 000 coins | $3.99 | one-time |
| 750 000 coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| Medium Coin Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| 2 000 000 coins | $9.99 | one-time |
| Big Coin Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Mega Coin Pack | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great physics and complete shop
- 👍 Fun and addictive game
- 🚀 Smooth gameplay on old devices
- 👍 Offline playable
- 👍 Variety of vehicles and maps

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and progress loss issues
- 🔍 Excessive ads and in-app purchases
- 🔍 Expensive upgrades and new content
- 🐛 Unresponsive controls and bugs
- 🔍 Repetitive gameplay

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes and freezes
- Progress/data loss
- Unresponsive controls
- Incorrect coin/gem tracking

**Requested features**

- Ability to reset progress
- Multiplayer mode
- Custom map editor
- More frequent updates
- Controller support


### Payback 2

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/payback-2/id570426586)

**Currently charting:** #112 Top Free · Racing (US App Store)

Experience intense, action-packed gameplay with a variety of campaign events, including gang battles, races, and tank duels. Compete with friends and millions of players online, or create your own custom events with diverse cities, modes, and vehicles.

**Highlights:** Varied campaign events, Extensive online multiplayer, Hourly, daily, and weekly challenges, Custom event creation, Diverse cities, game modes, and vehicles

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 200 Coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| 500 Coins | $1.99 | one-time |
| Disable Ads | $1.99 | one-time |
| Coin Doubler | $2.99 | one-time |
| 1200 Coins | $3.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Episode 2 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Episode 3 | $4.99 | one-time |
| 2500 Coins | $7.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Custom Mode | $9.99 | one-time |
| Unlimited Coins | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Smooth gameplay
- 🚀 Offline playability
- 💡 Customizable game modes
- 🎨 Good graphics and visuals
- 🕹️ Fun and addictive

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
- 📺 Too many intrusive ads
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- 🔨 Unfinished or unpolished features
- 🚗 Unrealistic vehicle physics

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes and freezes
- Vehicles and physics issues
- Multiplayer matchmaking problems
- Inconsistent or missing game progress
- Unresponsive controls and input issues

**Requested features**

- Add more vehicles and customization options
- Improve graphics and animations
- Implement a story mode or campaign
- Add more game modes and multiplayer features
- Reduce the number of ads or make them less intrusive


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hill Climb Racing free?

Hill Climb Racing is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Payback 2 free?

Payback 2 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Hill Climb Racing or Payback 2?

Payback 2 is rated higher. Hill Climb Racing averages 4.6 out of 5 from 139K ratings, while Payback 2 averages 4.7 from 55K ratings.

### Do Hill Climb Racing or Payback 2 have ads?

Both Hill Climb Racing and Payback 2 show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hill Climb Racing or Payback 2?

Hill Climb Racing ships an update every 3 weeks, and Payback 2 every 2 months. Most recently, Hill Climb Racing was updated on November 6, 2026 and Payback 2 on November 6, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Hill Climb Racing or Payback 2?

Hill Climb Racing currently peaks at #9 in the App Store charts, and Payback 2 at #112. 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.*