Comparison

Startup Dev Story vs Startup Empire Tycoon

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

Head to head
About

Startup Dev Story

Features
Read full description

Found your own software startup and grow it from a one-person garage hustle into a world-changing tech giant, one pixel at a time. Startup Dev Story is a cozy, fast-paced business simulation inspired by the management-sim classics. Hire developers, designers, and marketers, organize them into teams, and cook up products in the Lab by mixing a type, an audience, and secret ingredients. Discover powerful combos, ship them, and watch the subscribers (and the cash) roll in. But the tech world never sits still. Survive and thrive across shifting eras, the SaaS & Mobile Boom, Crypto Winter, the AI Revolution and beyond, each one reshaping what sells and who your rivals are. FEATURES • Hire & grow a team, level up staff, manage energy, loyalty and burnout, and promote your stars. • The Product Lab, combine type + audience + ingredients to discover hidden synergy recipes. • Ride the eras, adapt as the market transforms decade after decade. • Rivals & market, competitors ship their own products; trends rise and fall. • Research & perks, unlock new product types and kit out your office. • Three difficulties, from a gentle Learn-the-Ropes run to a brutal lean-runway challenge. • New Game+, bank a veteran co-founder and a cash head start for your next venture. • Multiple save slots, run parallel companies. • Handcrafted pixel art and a chiptune soundtrack, all generated with love. Free to play, supported by ads. No account required, your progress is saved on your device. Can you survive the burn, out-ship your rivals, and IPO your way to the singularity? Your startup story starts now.

About

Startup Empire Tycoon

Start a tech company from scratch and grow it into a global empire. Hire employees, develop products, secure funding, and compete with rivals to become a billionaire CEO. Every strategic decision shapes your company's destiny.

Highlights
  • Start from a garage and grow globally
  • Develop products for millions of users
  • Hire diverse employees
  • Upgrade and customize office space
  • Raise venture capital and manage finances
  • Research new technologies
  • Compete with AI and rival startups
Features
Read full description

Build your startup empire, one decision at a time. Startup Empire Tycoon is a business simulation game where you become the founder and CEO of a tech company. Hire your team, win customers, raise venture capital, and fight to keep the company alive. Every week brings a new call to make. BUILD A COMPANY WORTH BETTING ON Start small and watch your office grow with your business. Track cash, revenue, valuation, and runway as your company finds its footing. HIRE YOUR DREAM TEAM Recruit developers, sales staff, and support specialists. Fill your CTO, CMO, and CFO seats with leaders whose perks shape your strategy. Balance payroll, morale, and growth. OUTSMART YOUR RIVALS Compete against two rival companies for customers. Choose your focus: core product, AI, hardware, or hype. Ride market trends and adapt when the tide turns. RAISE CAPITAL. PLAN YOUR EXIT. Negotiate Seed, Series A, and Series B funding. More cash means more room to grow, but each round costs equity. Aim for an acquisition or take your company public. MAKE THE WEEKLY CALLS Handle startup events, tradeoffs, and surprises. Guided missions help new founders get started. Free play weeks replenish over time, with optional in-app purchases for extra weeks. YOUR COMPANY AT A GLANCE Follow your valuation, check your team's morale, and keep company stats close with home screen widgets. Compare your results on the optional leaderboard. How far can you take your company? Game interface and in-game text are currently in English.

Screenshots

Startup Dev Story4 screens
Startup Empire Tycoon4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Startup Dev Story at none against Startup Empire Tycoon's 3. Startup Dev Story also leads on device support (3 vs 1). Startup Empire Tycoon's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 4 months). On price and iOS requirement 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. Startup Empire Tycoon sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Startup Dev Story asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Startup Dev Story ships an update every 4 months, Startup Empire Tycoon every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Startup Dev Story versus Startup Empire Tycoon: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStartup Dev StoryStartup Empire Tycoon
PriceFreeFree
Rating—3.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—3 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size72 MB72 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJAIME RICHARD DAZA GUZMANRon Kantor

In-app purchases

None

Startup Dev Story

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Startup Empire Tycoon

One-time3
  • 20 Weeks$1.99
  • Revive$2.99
  • 60 Weeks$4.99

Questions

Is Startup Dev Story free?
Startup Dev Story is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Startup Empire Tycoon free?
Startup Empire Tycoon is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Startup Dev Story or Startup Empire Tycoon have ads?
Startup Dev Story shows ads; Startup Empire Tycoon does not.
Which is updated more often, Startup Dev Story or Startup Empire Tycoon?
Startup Dev Story ships an update every 4 months, and Startup Empire Tycoon every 2 months. Most recently, Startup Dev Story was updated on October 22, 2026 and Startup Empire Tycoon on October 25, 2026.

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