"Free-to-play or paid? How mobile games charge you"
Most top-grossing mobile games are free to download. They make their money afterwards, through adverts, subscriptions or in-app purchases. None of these is wrong in itself, but it helps to know which model a game uses before you start.
The main models
One-off purchase
You pay once and get the whole game. Slay the Spire, Carcassonne and many puzzle games work this way. Expansions may cost extra.
Free with ads
The game is free and shows adverts between rounds or as banners. Many offer a paid option to remove them.
Subscriptions
A monthly or yearly fee unlocks extra features or removes ads. Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass bundle hundreds of games without ads or in-app purchases for one subscription.
In-app purchases
The game is free, and you can buy currency, items, extra lives or cosmetic changes. Some games sell only cosmetics. Others sell items that affect how well you do, or ways to skip waiting times.
Random rewards
Some games sell loot boxes or card packs with random contents. Several countries regulate these, and both app stores require games to disclose the odds of receiving each type of item.
How to check before installing
- On Google Play, look for "Contains ads" and "In-app purchases" under the install button.
- On the App Store, "In-App Purchases" appears near the price, and the listing shows the most popular purchases and their prices.
- Read recent reviews filtered by lowest rating. Complaints about pay-to-win design or aggressive adverts show up there first.
Controls for children
Both platforms let parents require approval for purchases. On iPhone, Screen Time and Ask to Buy through Family Sharing cover this. On Android, Google Play's settings let you require authentication for every purchase, and Family Link adds approval for children's accounts.
Our approach
We state how each game charges in its "At a glance" box. We do not review gambling apps or games built around betting, including social casino games that use virtual chips. See how we review.
By the Mobiledista editorial team. Updated October 2026.