Comparison

Engine Simulator vs Nitro Apex

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

Head to head
About

Engine Simulator

Explore the physics of piston engines by building, tuning, and testing them. Simulate combustion and rigid body motion in real-time. Compete with others on a global leaderboard by posting your creations.

Highlights
  • Physics-based engine simulation
  • Build engines from scratch
  • Tune fuel and ignition maps
  • Real-time power and torque readings
  • 3D engine visualization
  • Global leaderboard
Features
Read full description

Engine Simulator is a physics-based piston engine sandbox. The sound and motion come from a real rigid body simulation of the crank, pistons, valves, and combustion, not recordings. Start an engine, work the throttle, and tune its fuel and ignition maps in the ECU. Build one from scratch (layout, bore, stroke, cam, firing order) or describe what you want and have it generated on device. Watch it run in 3D, read live power and torque on the dyno, or push it past the limiter until it breaks. Post your engines to the global leaderboard and compare against other builders. Engine Simulator for iOS is an unofficial port. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or supported by AngeTheGreat (Ange Yaghi), the creator of the original open source Engine Simulator. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Community Guidelines: https://saada7553.github.io/community-guidelines.html Privacy Policy: https://saada7553.github.io/privacy-policy.html Support: https://saada7553.github.io/support.html

About

Nitro Apex

Features
Read full description

Nitro Apex is a 3D racing game built for your phone: sim-flavoured handling, arcade speed. DRIFT TO BOOST Every slide charges your nitro. Hold the drift through the apex, fire the boost on the straight and take the lead. TEN TRACKS, DAY AND NIGHT Coastal roads, canyon passes, an alpine climb, a frozen ridge, a volcano rim, a harbour, an airport runway, a neon speedway and a night city lit by street lamps and storefronts. EIGHT CARS TO EARN AND TUNE From a nimble class-D hatch to a class-S+ prototype. Buy upgrades for engine, turbo, tyres, brakes and suspension, paint your car and pick your rims. Damage is real: repair in the garage between races. REAL ENGINE SOUNDS Every engine family (four-cylinder, V6, V8, V10) is built from real recordings, layered and pitched live with the revs. FREE ROAM CITY Leave the track and cruise a daytime city with traffic: ring road, back streets, a stadium, a mall and a mosque. Every street is open. FUEL AND CAREER Each race costs one unit of fuel that refills over time. Win credits, climb the classes, unlock the next car. Nitro Apex is free to play and contains optional in-app purchases and rewarded video ads. No account needed. Works offline; ads and purchases need a connection.

Screenshots

Engine Simulator4 screens
Nitro Apex4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Engine Simulator at none against Nitro Apex's shown. Engine Simulator also leads on chart position (#49 vs unranked). Nitro Apex's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.6). On price, in-app purchases and device support 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. Engine Simulator sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Nitro Apex sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Engine Simulator ships an update every 2 months, Nitro Apex every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Engine Simulator versus Nitro Apex: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEngine SimulatorNitro Apex
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (98 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews80.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings98 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
Best chart rank#49 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS18.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size22 MB146 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMUHAMMAD SAAD ATAKOMUT TEKNOLOJISI YAZILIM USSU TICARET SANAYI LIMITED SIRKETI

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Engine Simulator

One-time1
  • Lifetime$8.99
6 purchases

Nitro Apex

One-time6
  • Full Tank$2.99
  • Gold Pouch$4.99
  • Starter Pack$7.99
Show 3 more
  • Credit Pack$9.99
  • Gold Chest$14.99
  • Gold Treasure$44.99

Questions

Is Engine Simulator free?
Engine Simulator is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Nitro Apex free?
Nitro Apex is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Engine Simulator or Nitro Apex have ads?
Nitro Apex shows ads; Engine Simulator does not.
Which is updated more often, Engine Simulator or Nitro Apex?
Engine Simulator ships an update every 2 months, and Nitro Apex every 3 days. Most recently, Engine Simulator was updated on October 14, 2026 and Nitro Apex on October 5, 2026.

Other comparisons