Comparison

Shadow Market vs Startup Simulator

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

Head to head
About

Shadow Market

Build a vast financial empire through legitimate investments or shadowy dealings. Manage businesses, trade stocks, and acquire luxury assets. Unlock the Dark Market for high-risk, high-reward opportunities and grow your wealth even while offline.

Highlights
  • Idle gameplay with real-time income
  • Diverse investment portfolio management
  • Stock and cryptocurrency trading
  • Real estate empire building
  • Dark Market operations
  • Offline progress tracking
  • Collection of luxury assets
Features
Read full description

Shadow Market puts you in control of a vast financial operation, where you'll climb from humble beginnings to unimaginable wealth through legitimate investments or shadowy dealings. DIVERSE INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO Purchase and manage businesses for steady income Trade stocks and maximize dividend yields Time the volatile cryptocurrency market Build a real estate empire across continents Collect luxury items, fine art, and rare jewels Acquire cars, yachts, aircraft, and private islands STRATEGIC DECISION-MAKING Upgrade businesses to increase hourly income Renovate properties to maximize rental yields Time stock market movements for massive profits Build a cryptocurrency portfolio for passive earnings Create a diversified empire spanning multiple industries DARK MARKET OPERATIONS Unlock the exclusive Dark Market by achieving specific milestones Take on high-risk, high-reward deals with shadowy figures Launder your illicit earnings through legitimate businesses Increase your Street Cred to access more lucrative opportunities Balance legal operations with under-the-table dealings PROGRESS & ACHIEVEMENTS Earn awards for milestone achievements Complete collections in various categories Take over companies through hostile acquisitions Expand your empire across all seven continents Experience increasingly higher wealth thresholds unlocking new opportunities FEATURES Idle gameplay with real-time income generation Carefully balanced economy with realistic price movements Strategic upgrade system for properties and businesses Dynamic market simulation for stocks and cryptocurrencies Offline progress - your empire grows even when you're away Regular updates with new content and features ENDLESS WEALTH-BUILDING POSSIBILITIES Start small with a business clicker and gradually automate your empire Discover over 150 unique cars, 30 aircraft, 30 yachts, and 20 helicopters to collect Invest in prime real estate from Manhattan penthouses to private islands Experience realistic stock market mechanics with bull and bear markets Master cryptocurrency trading with volatility patterns and market cycles Unlock secret ultra-rare investment opportunities as your wealth grows IMMERSIVE FINANCIAL SIMULATOR Experience realistic financial mechanics with risk vs. reward decisions Watch markets respond to your investments in real-time Navigate economic booms and busts with strategic planning Manage your portfolio across multiple asset classes Optimize for long-term growth or short-term gains Challenge yourself to reach trillion-dollar net worth milestones YOUR WEALTH, YOUR WAY Choose between legitimate business tycoon or shadow market mastermind Customize your financial strategy based on your play style Compete against yourself to reach new wealth milestones Perfect for financial simulation fans and idle tycoon enthusiasts The ultimate business empire building experience on mobile No financial expertise required - learn as you play! THE MOST DETAILED FINANCIAL EMPIRE GAME Intricate economy with interconnected markets and realistic economic cycles Deep progression system that evolves as your wealth grows Beautiful visuals showcase your expanding collection of luxury assets Thoughtfully designed interface makes managing your complex empire intuitive Perfect balance of active play and idle progression Begin as a small-time investor and build your way to becoming a financial kingpin. Will you create a legitimate business conglomerate or walk the dangerous path of shadow operations? The choice is yours in Shadow Market.

About

Startup Simulator

Features
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Sarup Simmulator : Inc. — The ultimate startup simulation game where you live the founder's journey. Start with nothing but ambition and a laptop in a garage. Make critical decisions that shape your company's destiny. Will you bootstrap your way to success, or chase venture funding? Every choice matters. Key Features: • Idle+Active Hybrid Gameplay — Grow your startup while you sleep, or actively manage campaigns and product launches for accelerated progress • Core Metrics Management — Balance Cash, Users, Code quality, and Hype as you scale from Seed round to Series A, Series B, and ultimate Unicorn status • Team Building & Hiring — Recruit engineers, designers, marketers, and CEOs to unlock new capabilities and scale faster • Strategic Campaigns — Launch marketing initiatives, pivot your product, and compete in brutal market conditions • Tech Stack Upgrades — Invest in better infrastructure, databases, and architecture to handle growth • Random Events System — Navigate viral moments, competitor attacks, server crashes, and surprising opportunities that test your leadership • Dark Mode Dashboard — Sleek, modern UI designed for late-night grinding and marathon gaming sessions • Multiple Victory Paths — Raise venture funding, achieve profitability, go public, or get acquired — your path to success is yours to define Gameplay Loop: Earn cash from users, hire team members to boost production, invest in upgrades to scale faster, survive random market shocks, and progressively unlock new mechanics as you grow. The deeper you play, the more complex and rewarding the strategy becomes. Why It's Fun: Experience the highs and lows of building a startup without the real financial risk. Learn how venture-backed companies actually work. Make bold decisions and see the consequences play out in real-time. Compete with friends and climb global leaderboards.

Screenshots

Shadow Market4 screens
Startup Simulator4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Startup Simulator at none against Shadow Market's 1. Startup Simulator also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). Shadow Market's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price 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. Shadow Market sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Startup Simulator asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard4 real differences · 5 level
Shadow Market versus Startup Simulator: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShadow MarketStartup Simulator
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (5 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings5 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks—
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size90 MB10 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperYMMVSiamSquared Technologies (Thailand) Co., Ltd.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Shadow Market

One-time1
  • Shadow Market Remove Ads$3.99
None

Startup Simulator

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Shadow Market free?
Shadow Market is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Startup Simulator free?
Startup Simulator is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Shadow Market or Startup Simulator have ads?
Startup Simulator shows ads; Shadow Market does not.

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