# Ultimate Game Dev Tycoon vs Startup to Empire

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Startup to Empire at none against Ultimate Game Dev Tycoon's 2. Startup to Empire also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Ultimate Game Dev Tycoon's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Ultimate Game Dev Tycoon sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Startup to Empire asks for nothing beyond the download.

Ultimate Game Dev Tycoon ships an update every 2 months, Startup to Empire fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ultimate Game Dev Tycoon | Startup to Empire |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[2.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ultimate-game-dev-tycoon/id6758436457/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 17 MB | 87 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Richard DeBanks](https://appshunter.io/developer/1856155739) | [Evan Dawson](https://appshunter.io/developer/6801551833) |

## What reviewers say

### Ultimate Game Dev Tycoon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ultimate-game-dev-tycoon/id6758436457)

Build a game development empire from humble beginnings to a world-famous studio. Design games, manage your team, research technology, and react to market trends to achieve chart-topping success.

**Highlights:** Build a game studio empire, Design games across genres and platforms, Hire, train, and manage a team, Research new technology, React to market trends, Idle-tycoon gameplay

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Weekly | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Pro Yearly | $39.99 | per year |


### Startup to Empire

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/startup-to-empire/id6801551831)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ultimate Game Dev Tycoon free?

Ultimate Game Dev Tycoon is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Startup to Empire free?

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

### Do Ultimate Game Dev Tycoon or Startup to Empire have ads?

Startup to Empire shows ads; Ultimate Game Dev Tycoon does not.

### Which is updated more often, Ultimate Game Dev Tycoon or Startup to Empire?

Ultimate Game Dev Tycoon ships an update every 2 months, and Startup to Empire fortnightly. Most recently, Ultimate Game Dev Tycoon was updated on November 5, 2026 and Startup to Empire on October 31, 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.*