# Mini Metro vs Balatro

The clearest difference is update cadence: Balatro at every 5 days against Mini Metro's every 2 months. Balatro also leads on chart position (#2 vs #20) and ratings volume (105K vs 31K). Mini Metro's advantage is price ($3.99 vs $9.99). On rating, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Mini Metro costs $3.99 and Balatro $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Mini Metro against 5.0 for Balatro. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 31K and 105K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 88% of Mini Metro's written reviews are positive against 81% of Balatro's.

Mini Metro ships an update every 2 months, Balatro every 5 days. Both last shipped on September 28, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mini Metro | Balatro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$3.99** | $9.99 |
| Rating | [4.9 (31K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mini-metro/id837860959/reviews) | **[5.0 (105K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/balatro/id6502453075/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 31K | **105K** |
| Positive reviews | **87.6% of reviews** | 81.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #20 | **#2** |
| Size | 179 MB | 93 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 13.5 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Dinosaur Polo Club](https://appshunter.io/developer/1119391227) | [Playstack Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1133080356) |

## What reviewers say

### Mini Metro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mini-metro/id837860959)

**Currently charting:** #20 Top Paid · Simulation, #21 Top Paid · Strategy, #51 Top Paid · Games, #83 Top Paid (US App Store)

Design and manage a subway system for a growing city. Draw lines, start trains, and adapt your network as new stations open. Strategically use limited resources to keep the city moving and achieve the highest score.

**Highlights:** Design subway maps, Draw lines between stations, Manage train routes, Adapt to random city growth, Utilize limited resources, Over two dozen real-world cities, Variety of upgrades

**Features:** iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Simple and relaxing gameplay
- 🎨 Beautiful minimalist design
- ⏱️ Addictive and time-killing
- 🌐 Wide variety of cities to play
- 💰 Good value for money

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Trains skipping stations
- 🤯 Overwhelming difficulty at times
- 🔍 Lack of clear instructions
- 🔀 Difficulty removing/rerouting lines
- 🕰️ No ability to save progress

**Reported bugs**

- Leaderboard issues with daily challenges
- Crashes and compatibility problems on certain devices
- Unexpected behavior when trains skip stations

**Requested features**

- Undo/redo functionality
- Ability to create branching lines
- More detailed statistics and analytics
- Additional game modes (e.g. career, scenarios)
- Integration with real-world transit data


### Balatro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/balatro/id6502453075)

**Currently charting:** #2 Top Paid · Card, #4 Top Paid · Strategy, #9 Top Paid · Games, #12 Top Paid, #100 Top Grossing · Card, #143 Top Grossing · Strategy (US App Store)

This game blends poker and solitaire mechanics with unique rule-bending twists. Build powerful poker hands, discover game-changing Joker cards, and create exciting combos to defeat challenging Boss Blinds. Explore different decks and game modes for endless replayability.

**Highlights:** Poker and Solitaire hybrid gameplay, Rule-bending mechanics, Collect over 150 unique Joker cards, Create powerful combos, Campaign and challenge modes, Pixel art visuals

**Features:** Game Controller support, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Addictive gameplay
- 💎 Unique and compelling mechanics
- 👍 Easy to learn, hard to master
- 🎨 Charming pixel art and music
- 💰 Great value for money

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and save issues
- 🔍 Small text and UI elements
- 🔋 Battery draining
- 🔇 No background music support

**Reported bugs**

- Unlocks and achievements not registering properly
- Crashes and freezes on certain devices
- Joker and card interactions not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Cloud save sync across devices
- Portrait mode option
- Customizable UI and accessibility settings


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mini Metro free?

Mini Metro costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Balatro free?

Balatro costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Mini Metro or Balatro?

Balatro is rated higher. Mini Metro averages 4.9 out of 5 from 31K ratings, while Balatro averages 5.0 from 105K ratings.

### Do Mini Metro or Balatro have ads?

Neither Mini Metro nor Balatro shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Mini Metro or Balatro?

Mini Metro ships an update every 2 months, and Balatro every 5 days. Most recently, Mini Metro was updated on September 28, 2026 and Balatro on September 28, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Mini Metro or Balatro?

Mini Metro currently peaks at #20 in the App Store charts, and Balatro at #2. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*