# Idle Civilizations vs Bus Jam

The clearest difference is ads: Bus Jam at none against Idle Civilizations's shown. Bus Jam also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 5 weeks) and ratings volume (53K vs 3.2K). On price, rating, review sentiment and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Idle Civilizations sells 18 one-off in-app purchases and Bus Jam sells 31 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Idle Civilizations against 4.6 for Bus Jam. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bus Jam has 53K ratings behind it against 3.2K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 33% and 34% positive.

Idle Civilizations ships an update every 5 weeks, Bus Jam weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Idle Civilizations | Bus Jam |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (3.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-civilizations-evolution/id6447911434/reviews)** | [4.6 (53K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bus-jam/id6450176534/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 3.2K | **53K** |
| Positive reviews | 32.8% of reviews | **33.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 521 MB | 439 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [SayGames LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1551847165) | [Rollic Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/1452111779) |

## What reviewers say

### Idle Civilizations

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-civilizations-evolution/id6447911434)

Build and grow civilizations from the dawn of humanity to the future in this idle strategy game. Earn money, hire workers, and customize your character as you progress through different historical eras. Relax and watch your empire expand without pressure.

**Highlights:** Build and grow civilizations, Idle progression, Time travel mechanics, Resource management, Character customization, Tower building

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (18)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mini Gem Package | $0.99 | one-time |
| Gem Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Fortune Wheel Pack 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Better Starter Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Piggy Bank | $2.99 | one-time |
| Welcome pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Skip Ad Tickets Offer | $2.99 | one-time |
| Small Gem Package | $4.99 | one-time |
| Greatest Starter Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Piggy Bank 2 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Fortune Wheel Pack 2 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Remove ADS | $5.99 | one-time |
| Income Boost x2 | $5.99 | one-time |
| Medium Gem Package | $9.99 | one-time |
| Dragon slayer pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Free Rewards Pack | $19.99 | one-time |
| Upgraded Epic Pack | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast progression
- 👍 Cute graphics and animations
- 🔒 No forced ads
- 🚀 Satisfying gameplay loop

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 💰 Expensive ad removal
- 🔁 Repetitive progression
- 🤑 Excessive microtransactions
- 🔍 Lack of instructions/tutorials

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to craft higher rarity event items
- Offline progress not working
- Purchased ad removal not working

**Requested features**

- More levels and content updates
- Save/load game progress
- Improved balance and progression


### Bus Jam

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bus-jam/id6450176534)

Organize colorful passengers and match them with the correct buses to send them on vacation. This fun and brain-teasing puzzle game offers vibrant visuals, multiple difficulty levels, and engaging gameplay for all ages. Strategize your moves to clear the way and complete challenging levels.

**Highlights:** Unique passenger sorting puzzle gameplay, Colorful and engaging visuals, Multiple levels with increasing difficulty, Casual yet challenging experience, Unlockable bonuses and power-ups, Suitable for all ages

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (31)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Heart Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| A few tickets | $0.99 | one-time |
| busjam_halloweenoffer | $0.99 | one-time |
| Small Coin Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Coin Pack 550 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Starter Stash | $2.99 | one-time |
| No Ads | $3.99 | one-time |
| No ads bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Bronze Cache | $4.99 | one-time |
| Starter Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| 4th of July Offer | $4.99 | one-time |
| Medium Coin Pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| Ultimate Pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| Autumn Offer | $6.99 | one-time |
| Labbor Day Offer | $6.99 | one-time |
| Coin Pack 2750 | $7.99 | one-time |
| Ladder Pack | $7.99 | one-time |
| Bundle Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Silver Sack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Unlimited Lives And Coins | $9.99 | one-time |
| Master Bundle | $9.99 | one-time |
| Bus Pass | $9.99 | one-time |
| Olympic Offer | $9.99 | one-time |
| Large Coin Pack | $14.99 | one-time |
| Golden Gallon | $19.99 | one-time |
| Booster Pack | $19.99 | one-time |
| Mega Bundle | $19.99 | one-time |
| Platinum Pouch | $29.99 | one-time |
| Booster Pack | $29.99 | one-time |
| Remove All Ads | $44.99 | one-time |
| Diamond Vault | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fun, challenging puzzles
- 👍 Colorful, engaging graphics
- 🚀 Smooth gameplay
- 👍 Relaxing, mindless entertainment

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitches and bugs
- 💰 Paywall after early levels
- 📺 Excessive, intrusive ads
- 🔋 Game causes device overheating

**Reported bugs**

- Incorrect number of passengers spawning
- Passengers getting stuck and unable to board
- Game freezing or crashing at higher levels
- Purchased boosts/coins not working as intended

**Requested features**

- Color blind mode
- Ability to replay failed levels
- Improved coin/booster earning system
- Option to disable ads for a one-time fee


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Idle Civilizations free?

Idle Civilizations is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Bus Jam free?

Bus Jam is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Idle Civilizations or Bus Jam?

Idle Civilizations is rated higher. Idle Civilizations averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3.2K ratings, while Bus Jam averages 4.6 from 53K ratings.

### Do Idle Civilizations or Bus Jam have ads?

Idle Civilizations shows ads; Bus Jam does not.

### Which is updated more often, Idle Civilizations or Bus Jam?

Idle Civilizations ships an update every 5 weeks, and Bus Jam weekly. Most recently, Idle Civilizations was updated on September 20, 2026 and Bus Jam on September 25, 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.*