# Ship Simulator vs Dam Builder 3D

The clearest difference is update cadence: Ship Simulator at every 2 weeks against Dam Builder 3D's every 2 months. Dam Builder 3D's advantage is review sentiment (64% vs 49%). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Ship Simulator sells 14 one-off in-app purchases and Dam Builder 3D sells 16 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 Ship Simulator against 4.8 for Dam Builder 3D. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 13K and 10K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 49% of Ship Simulator's written reviews are positive against 64% of Dam Builder 3D's.

Ship Simulator ships an update every 2 weeks, Dam Builder 3D every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ship Simulator | Dam Builder 3D |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (13K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ship-simulator-boat-game/id6451137140/reviews) | **[4.8 (10K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dam-builder-3d/id6477145747/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **13K** | 10K |
| Positive reviews | 48.8% of reviews | **64.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 513 MB | 209 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [AZUR INTERACTIVE GAMES LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1296347323) | [Solid Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/1625798412) |

## What reviewers say

### Ship Simulator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ship-simulator-boat-game/id6451137140)

Pilot various ships to transport resources and build a nuclear power plant in a challenging environment. Upgrade your fleet, manage industries, and overcome obstacles like difficult routes and dynamic weather.

**Highlights:** Cargo delivery tasks, Ship fleet management, Industry upgrades, Ship modification, Dynamic weather system, Diverse routes and locations

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

**In-app purchases (14)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small starter set | $0.99 | one-time |
| 5000 coins | $2.99 | one-time |
| No ADS | $2.99 | one-time |
| Supply containers | $3.99 | one-time |
| No ADS offer | $3.99 | one-time |
| Big starter set | $3.99 | one-time |
| Free barges forever | $4.99 | one-time |
| 10000 coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| Automatic loading forever | $4.99 | one-time |
| 20000 coins | $7.99 | one-time |
| 10000 experience | $8.99 | one-time |
| 40000 coins | $14.99 | one-time |
| 60000 coins | $19.99 | one-time |
| 90000 coins | $24.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fun and addictive gameplay
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use controls
- 🎨 Great graphics and visuals
- 🎵 Enjoyable music and sound design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Lack of content after completing main missions
- 💰 High cost of in-app purchases for ships and upgrades
- 🔋 Energy system that limits playtime
- 📺 Excessive and unskippable advertisements

**Reported bugs**

- Winch breaking issues and ship damage when boosting
- Cargo loading and delivery not registering properly
- Energy system not regenerating as expected
- Crashes and black screens on certain devices

**Requested features**

- More levels, missions, and locations to explore
- Ability to replay completed missions
- Free roam mode or sandbox environment
- Option to remove ads through a one-time purchase


### Dam Builder 3D

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dam-builder-3d/id6477145747)

Build and expand a dam in this idle simulation game. Earn profits by releasing water and upgrade your dam. Unlock a fishing fleet to catch and sell fish for even more rewards.

**Highlights:** Construct and expand dams, Release water for profit, Upgrade dam sections, Unlock upstream dock, Operate a fishing boat, Expand fishing fleet

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

**In-app purchases (16)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| AD ticket (Small) | $0.99 | one-time |
| Diamond Pack 1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| AD ticket (Mid) | $1.99 | one-time |
| AD ticket (Big) | $3.99 | one-time |
| No Ads Lite | $4.99 | one-time |
| Diamond Pack 2 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Remove force ad 7 days | $4.99 | one-time |
| Diamond Package (Small) | $4.99 | one-time |
| Season premium | $6.99 | one-time |
| No Ads Plus | $9.99 | one-time |
| Diamond Pack 3 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Remove force ad forever | $9.99 | one-time |
| Diamond Package (Big) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Diamond Pack 4 | $19.99 | one-time |
| Diamond Pack 5 | $49.99 | one-time |
| Diamond Pack 6 | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and addictive gameplay
- 💰 Ability to make money
- 🎨 Great graphics
- 🕹️ Challenging and engaging

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤖 Excessive ads
- ⏱️ Long ad durations
- 🔁 Repetitive levels
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches

**Reported bugs**

- Ads not working as intended
- Game freezing or crashing
- Issues with in-app purchases

**Requested features**

- More maps and levels
- Reduced ad frequency
- Shorter ad durations
- Improved water physics


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ship Simulator free?

Ship Simulator is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Dam Builder 3D free?

Dam Builder 3D is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Ship Simulator or Dam Builder 3D?

Dam Builder 3D is rated higher. Ship Simulator averages 4.7 out of 5 from 13K ratings, while Dam Builder 3D averages 4.8 from 10K ratings.

### Do Ship Simulator or Dam Builder 3D have ads?

Both Ship Simulator and Dam Builder 3D show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Ship Simulator or Dam Builder 3D?

Ship Simulator ships an update every 2 weeks, and Dam Builder 3D every 2 months. Most recently, Ship Simulator was updated on October 29, 2026 and Dam Builder 3D on October 30, 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.*