# Strut vs Mini Metro

The clearest difference is price: Strut at Free against Mini Metro's $3.99. Mini Metro's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 3.7) and review sentiment (89% vs 48%). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Strut is free to download; Mini Metro costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Mini Metro holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mini Metro has 31K ratings behind it against 67, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 48% of Strut's written reviews are positive against 89% of Mini Metro's.

Strut ships an update every 6 months, Mini Metro every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Strut | Mini Metro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $3.99 |
| Rating | [3.7 (67 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/strut/id606686716/reviews) | **[4.9 (31K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mini-metro/id837860959/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 67 | **31K** |
| Positive reviews | 48.0% of reviews | **88.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#14** |
| Size | 11 MB | 179 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Thickpolicy LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/374216102) | [Dinosaur Polo Club](https://appshunter.io/developer/1119391227) |

## What reviewers say

### Strut

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/strut/id606686716)

Explore the world by uncovering billions of virtual tiles on a global map. Track your travels by any means of transport, discover new routes, and compete with others on leaderboards. Earn medals and level up as you open up your world.

**Highlights:** Uncover billions of world tiles, Track all forms of travel, Explore surroundings and new routes, Compete on global leaderboards, Earn medals and level up, Apple Watch integration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🗺️ Innovative tile-based map exploration concept
- 👍 Well-designed, polished user interface
- 🎮 Gamification encourages exploration and travel
- 🚶 Motivates users to discover new places and routes
- 💰 Free app with optional donations

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔋 Severe battery drain and excessive heat generation
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and instability
- 📱 Background tracking stops or becomes unreliable
- 🔄 Slow server performance and syncing issues
- ❌ Abandoned development with infrequent updates

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on login, especially with Facebook/Twitter authentication
- Background tracking stops randomly and requires app restart
- Pending sync tiles accumulate and never fully sync
- Tiles lost during phone transfers or account recovery
- Medal and achievement counts not updating

**Requested features**

- Battery optimization and GPS efficiency improvements
- Background tracking that works reliably
- Apple Watch app with full map functionality
- External GPS device support (Bluetooth GPS pucks)
- GPX file import/export capability


### Mini Metro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mini-metro/id837860959)

**Currently charting:** #14 Top Paid · Simulation, #15 Top Paid · Strategy, #35 Top Paid · Games, #53 Top Paid (US App Store)

Design and manage a subway system for a growing city. Draw lines, start trains, and adapt your network as new stations open. Strategically use limited resources to keep the city moving and achieve the highest score.

**Highlights:** Design subway maps, Draw lines between stations, Manage train routes, Adapt to random city growth, Utilize limited resources, Over two dozen real-world cities, Variety of upgrades

**Features:** iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Simple and relaxing gameplay
- 🎨 Beautiful minimalist design
- ⏱️ Addictive and time-killing
- 🌐 Wide variety of cities to play
- 💰 Good value for money

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Trains skipping stations
- 🤯 Overwhelming difficulty at times
- 🔍 Lack of clear instructions
- 🔀 Difficulty removing/rerouting lines
- 🕰️ No ability to save progress

**Reported bugs**

- Leaderboard issues with daily challenges
- Crashes and compatibility problems on certain devices
- Unexpected behavior when trains skip stations

**Requested features**

- Undo/redo functionality
- Ability to create branching lines
- More detailed statistics and analytics
- Additional game modes (e.g. career, scenarios)
- Integration with real-world transit data


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Strut free?

Strut is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Mini Metro free?

Mini Metro costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Strut or Mini Metro?

Mini Metro is rated higher. Strut averages 3.7 out of 5 from 67 ratings, while Mini Metro averages 4.9 from 31K ratings.

### Do Strut or Mini Metro have ads?

Neither Strut nor Mini Metro shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Strut or Mini Metro?

Strut ships an update every 6 months, and Mini Metro every 2 months. Most recently, Strut was updated on October 7, 2026 and Mini Metro on October 15, 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.*