Comparison

Payback 2 vs Car Simulator 2

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Payback 2

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
Read full description

"Bite sized, action-packed stages; boils down the GTA flavor to an intense punch" - AppSpy.com Gaming App of The Day - Kotaku.com "[Payback 2] manages to create a sense of overblown fun that permeates everything from straightforward races to capture the flag-inspired heists ... an immensely entertaining experience" - pocketgamer.co.uk Featured as one of the best games of the week by The Guardian DESCRIPTION: Payback 2 is the long-awaited sequel to the hit GTA-style game from the early days of the App Store. It concentrates that classic formula by offering exciting event-based gameplay that is all action, all the time. FEATURES: • VARIED CAMPAIGN. Fifty campaign events featuring everything from massive gang battles to rocket car races to epic tank duels! • TAKE ON THE WORLD. Battle your friends or over a million other players online with the game's extensive multiplayer, leaderboard and Game Center support. • HOURLY, DAILY AND WEEKLY CHALLENGES. Try to beat the rest of the world in the latest new events! • ENDLESS REPLAYABILITY. Make your own events in "custom mode" using any combination of the game's seven cities, nine game modes, varied weaponry and dozens of vehicles.

About

Car Simulator 2

Experience a realistic driving simulator with an expansive open world and over 130 vehicles. Compete in races, upgrade your cars, and explore the city solo or online with other players. Earn currency to customize your vehicles, garages, and even purchase a house.

Highlights
  • Realistic driving physics
  • Open world exploration
  • Over 130 cars
  • Online multiplayer
  • Car customization and upgrades
  • Missions and races
  • Dynamic day-night cycle
Features
Read full description

Play the most realistic driving simulator! A new open world, over 135 new cars, and amazing gameplay await you! Play online with real players from all over the world, win, and earn currency you can spend on new cars, upgrades, garages, and a house. Cruise all over the city with your friends, upgrade your cars, enter and win insane races, explore a large city, and become the best! Race by your own rules! Let's go! Features: - A fun, free-to-play game that's a blast to play. - Online and single-player modes. - 3D open world. - Daily bonuses and quests. - Fully detailed car models. - Drive from a first- or third-person perspective. - 360-degree car interiors. - Lots of interactive elements in the car models. - Realistic physics and sounds effects. - A mechanic with lots of upgrade options for your cars. - Interactive gas station. - Exciting missions in the form of quests, arcade challenges, and races. - Dynamic day-night cycle. Tips: 1. Buy new cars and upgrade them to win new races. 2. Don't go too fast in the city - drive carefully. 3. Watch out for the cops - they'll give you a ticket if they catch you speeding. 4. Pay attention to interactive tips and dialog boxes. 5. Don't forget to gas up your car at the gas station. 6. You can make extra money by picking up cab fares or working for the mob. 7. Obey the rules of the road.

Screenshots

Payback 24 screens
Car Simulator 24 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Payback 2 at 4.7 against Car Simulator 2's 4.5. Payback 2 also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.0). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence 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. Payback 2 sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Car Simulator 2 sells 12 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Payback 2 holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 54K and 24K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of Payback 2's written reviews are positive against 83% of Car Simulator 2's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. Both last shipped on September 29, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 9 level
Payback 2 versus Car Simulator 2: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPayback 2Car Simulator 2
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (54K ratings) — better4.5 (24K ratings)
Positive reviews85.1% of reviews — better82.6% of reviews
Number of ratings54K — better24K
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#101 — better#106
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size179 MB2.2 GB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperApex Designs Games LLPOppanaGames FZC LLC

Customer experience

Payback 2

All ratings54,371 ratings
Positive93.5%
Neutral2.8%
Negative3.7%
Written reviews1,884 reviews
Positive85.1%
Neutral6.1%
Negative8.8%

Car Simulator 2

All ratings23,774 ratings
Positive88.1%
Neutral3.8%
Negative8.1%
Written reviews1,296 reviews
Positive82.6%
Neutral6.0%
Negative11.4%

User reviews

Payback 2

From 54K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Car Simulator 2

From 24K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great game
  • 🚀 Awesome graphics
  • 🚀 Fun to drive around
  • 🚀 Lots of cars to choose from
  • 🚀 Customization options

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Glitches and bugs
  • 🐛 Frequent crashes
  • 🐛 Black screen when exiting car
  • 🐛 Drifting issues with certain cars
  • 💰 Expensive cars and upgrades

Bugs and requests

Payback 2

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

8 requests
  • 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
Show 3 more
  • Fix bugs and improve overall stability
  • Introduce a sandbox or free-roam mode
  • Add support for controllers and higher frame rates

Car Simulator 2

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Disappearing cars in garages
  • Inconsistent fuel consumption
  • Difficulty connecting to online mode
  • Freezing and crashing on older devices

Requested features

10 requests
  • More car brands and models
  • Larger map and more locations
  • Ability to own and customize houses
  • Multiplayer mode with friends
  • Character customization
Show 5 more
  • Realistic damage and repair system
  • Weather effects and seasons
  • Ability to start businesses and jobs
  • Improved navigation and GPS
  • More missions and challenges

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Payback 2

One-time10
  • 200 Coins$0.99
  • 500 Coins$1.99
  • Disable Ads$1.99
Show 7 more
  • Coin Doubler$2.99
  • 1200 Coins$3.99
  • Unlock Episode 2$4.99
  • Unlock Episode 3$4.99
  • 2500 Coins$7.99
  • Unlock Custom Mode$9.99
  • Unlimited Coins$14.99
12 purchases

Car Simulator 2

One-time12
  • Disable interstitial Ads$1.99
  • 55.000 Coins$2.99
  • Car Velarion$4.99
Show 9 more
  • 121.000 Coins$5.99
  • Diamond$7.99
  • 331.000 Coins$8.99
  • G-Wagen M$9.99
  • Haste$9.99
  • Car Bull$12.99
  • 100 Blueprints$14.99
  • Mansion on the beach$14.99
  • 718.000 Coins$17.99

Questions

Is Payback 2 free?
Payback 2 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Car Simulator 2 free?
Car Simulator 2 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Payback 2 or Car Simulator 2?
Payback 2 is rated higher. Payback 2 averages 4.7 out of 5 from 54K ratings, while Car Simulator 2 averages 4.5 from 24K ratings.
Do Payback 2 or Car Simulator 2 have ads?
Both Payback 2 and Car Simulator 2 show ads.
Which is updated more often, Payback 2 or Car Simulator 2?
Payback 2 ships an update every 2 months, and Car Simulator 2 every 2 months. Most recently, Payback 2 was updated on September 29, 2026 and Car Simulator 2 on September 29, 2026.
Which is more popular, Payback 2 or Car Simulator 2?
Payback 2 currently peaks at #101 in the App Store charts, and Car Simulator 2 at #106. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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