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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Rise of Kingdoms vs Clash of Clans

Rise of Kingdoms 4.5★ · Free + IAP 60
Winner Clash of Clans
Clash of Clans 4.8★ · Free + IAP 75

Clash of Clans is the better choice for players seeking a more established and less aggressively monetized strategy game, despite its own issues with upgrade times and recent updates.

Full reviews: Rise of Kingdoms · Clash of Clans

Clash of Clans, with its significantly higher lifetime rating and player base, generally offers a more stable and less 'pay-to-win' experience compared to Rise of Kingdoms. While both games face criticism regarding long upgrade times and monetization, Rise of Kingdoms is more frequently accused of being aggressively pay-to-win and having issues with customer support and false advertising.

Head to head

Pay-to-Win (P2W) Mechanics edge: Clash of ClansR3R16R22R24
Rise of Kingdoms Rise of Kingdoms is widely criticized as being heavily 'pay-to-win,' with many users stating that free-to-play players cannot compete with those who spend thousands of dollars R3R16R22R24. Some suggest buying an account instead of starting new as a free player .
Clash of Clans Clash of Clans also receives complaints about being 'pay-to-win' and having forced microtransactions . Users mention that attacking troops get a boost in ranked battles if players spend real money . However, some players who have returned found the game easier for new/returning players .
Customer Support & Account Issues tieR1R4R19R34
Rise of Kingdoms Rise of Kingdoms users report significant problems with customer support, including accounts being blocked without reason and support not helping R1. Some users who spent money had their game reset with no explanation or fix from support R4. There are also issues with purchased features not working as advertised, such as migration bundles R19R34.
Clash of Clans Clash of Clans players also experience account issues, such as losing main accounts when trying to create new ones R64, difficulty transferring accounts between devices R67, and accounts being deleted or disabled after periods of inactivity . Some users report terrible customer service and unaddressed bugs .
Upgrade Times & Progression tieR21R70R81
Rise of Kingdoms Rise of Kingdoms players complain about tremendous wait times for research upgrades, with some reaching 100 days for slight buffs and 500 days to reach T5 troops R21. This long progression can make the game lose its spark R21.
Clash of Clans Clash of Clans users find upgrade times ridiculous, with some items taking 10 to 15 days to upgrade R70R81. Players suggest adding a second builder for the laboratory or splitting it for different elixir types to keep up with the 69 items needing upgrades R81.
Ads & False Advertising edge: Clash of ClansR8R18R25R40
Rise of Kingdoms Rise of Kingdoms is frequently criticized for false advertising, with users stating the game is nothing like the ads R8R18R25R40. Some complain about too many ads within the game itself, leading to more ad time than playing time R25.
Clash of Clans Clash of Clans is praised for having no intrusive ads .
Game Experience & Enjoyment edge: Clash of ClansR2R5R6R10
Rise of Kingdoms Rise of Kingdoms is described as fun and addictive by some R2R5. However, others find it pointless if not part of the 'big' tribes R10 and note issues like chat muting R6.
Clash of Clans Clash of Clans is widely loved and considered a classic . Many users have played for years . However, some recent updates have been criticized for ruining the experience , and some find the game's purpose lost after maxing out certain areas .
Pick Rise of Kingdoms if

Pick Rise of Kingdoms if you are looking for a strategy game that can be fun and immersive R2, and you are prepared to either spend significant money to compete or accept a slower, more casual free-to-play experience R16R22.

Pick Clash of Clans if

Pick Clash of Clans if you prefer a well-established, classic strategy game with a large community and fewer in-game ads . It's also a good choice if you're a returning player, as updates have made it easier to get back into the game .

Evidence note: Rise of Kingdoms has a significantly smaller number of ratings compared to Clash of Clans, which could lead to a more volatile representation of user sentiment. The negative reviews for Rise of Kingdoms are heavily skewed towards 'pay-to-win' complaints and issues with false advertising, while Clash of Clans' negativity often centers on long upgrade times and recent update changes.

Frequently asked

Which game is more 'pay-to-win'?
Rise of Kingdoms is more frequently and strongly criticized as being heavily 'pay-to-win,' with many users stating that free-to-play players struggle significantly against those who spend thousands of dollars R16R22R24R28. Clash of Clans also has pay-to-win elements, but the complaints are less extreme and some returning players find it easier to progress .
Does either game have intrusive ads?
Rise of Kingdoms is criticized for having many ads within the game and false advertising in its external promotions R25R40R46R53. Clash of Clans, on the other hand, is praised by users for having no intrusive ads .
Are account issues common in these games?
Yes, both games have users reporting account issues, including blocked accounts and unhelpful support in Rise of Kingdoms R1R4, and deleted or lost accounts, especially when switching devices or after inactivity, in Clash of Clans R64R67.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R3] Rise of Kingdoms 3/5 · US Pay to win: I think that the developers should make a new kind of kingdom where there are zero purchasable items and everything is free to play, to make it still profitable and therefore useful I think there should be a 10-20 dollar purchase to enter the kingdom, this would make it extremely fun to play and there would be more active players. Sorry for writing a lot but please consider this
  2. [R16] Rise of Kingdoms 2/5 · US The game is P2W: This game is the most pay to win game you will ever play. Wish they had more outlets for people who don’t want to spend thousands of dollars, and yes THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS PEOPLE WILL SPEND ON THIS GAME. The game is fun if you weren’t being overruled and surpassed by people who spend $500 a day on this game.
  3. [R22] Rise of Kingdoms 1/5 · US P2w: Most pay to win game i have ever seen in my entire life, its like if ur f2p player in first 5 hour of the game, your power is 100k and the p2w players are 10 million, in this game f2p players are here only for p2w players have more fun
  4. [R24] Rise of Kingdoms 3/5 · US Insane P2W: Unless you’re ready to blast your next paycheck on this game you’ll never be able to compete with others
  5. [R1] Rise of Kingdoms 1/5 · US Me cerraron mi cuenta sin yo hacer nada: Comencé con una cuenta hace tres días y me la bloquearon nose porque y encima contacte a soporte y no ayudaron en nada!
  6. [R4] Rise of Kingdoms 1/5 · US Sucks: I paid money and issue with more problems finally I get my game reset why I don’t know support said they couldn’t fix it smh wast of time not worth it in my opinion there’s better games that are willing to help you fix the issues
  7. [R19] Rise of Kingdoms 1/5 · US Liers: I purchased this bundle specifically to start in the newly opened Kingdom #4129. My account has Beginner’s Teleports, my power is only 179,415, but the game says I do not meet the migration requirements. I was unable to use the feature I purchased for. I would like a refund or appropriate compensation.
  8. [R34] Rise of Kingdoms 2/5 · US What the heck Lilith: I recently started a new account in this game I went through all the stages and spent quite a bit of money but these nut jobs at rise of kingdoms sold me a bundle titled “ new world “ I purchased it because I learned of a new strategy called sleeping in which you migrate to a younger kingdom I had done this a year before on a different account but this time it simply didn’t w
  9. [R21] Rise of Kingdoms 3/5 · US Fun but is losing its spark: It’s been a good game for a while but the tremendous wait times for research upgrades is actually crazy past Tier 4 level. Why would I want to wait 100 days for a slight buff and the possibility to reach T5 troops (which takes 500 days). Please add a T6 level to reduce other research wait times, or something like better rune speed ups to the game. Another annoyance is
  10. [R70] Clash of Clans 1/5 · US Perpetual waiting for anything to get upgraded: Upgrade times are ridiculous. Of course troops never go where you want them to. aimlessly wandering around getting killed.
  11. [R81] Clash of Clans 3/5 · US The laboratory needs to make some changes too: I have been playing this game for over 10 years. And you have made everything but the laboratory. 1 laboratory is now in charge of upgrading 69 items (and it takes 10 to 15 days to upgrade each items). If you can either add a second builder or split it so regular elixir has its own laboratory and dark elixir also has its own because it’s 100% for it
  12. [R8] Rise of Kingdoms 5/5 · US False advertising: The game ad is wrong. I’ve played this game before.
  13. [R18] Rise of Kingdoms 3/5 · US It’s ok…: It’s a good game I like the building but it for some reason just kinda reminds me of a Clash of Clans remake but it’s still ok. Kinda fake though the ads and game are different
  14. [R25] Rise of Kingdoms 1/5 · US DO NOT GET: I saw many ads for the game in the ads thegame looked fun, but the game was nothing like the ad said would be there’s many ads within the game and you get more ad time than playing time!! Would not recommend this game.
  15. [R40] Rise of Kingdoms 1/5 · US Out right lying in ads?: The gameplay of this game isn’t bad if this is the type of game you like but the lying on ads about advanced management and population is actually crazy and the fact that there’s no consequences the devs are just money hungry and shouldn’t be supported
  16. [R2] Rise of Kingdoms 5/5 · US Pretty solid: So far it’s a game that has actually kept my attention longer than others.
  17. [R5] Rise of Kingdoms 5/5 · US Excellent game: Kills time wonderfully. · translated
  18. [R6] Rise of Kingdoms 3/5 · US Great game But: Everything seems right about the game but when it kicks your friends or team mates out of chat for long periods of time the game gets boring because no one can join chat once’s muted or kicked. I hope they fix this issue.
  19. [R10] Rise of Kingdoms 1/5 · US Unless you are one of the 3 “big” tribes it’s pointless: There are a bunch of cliques that act like they’re great because they’re play too much. No chance for average player to have a good experience.
  20. [R28] Rise of Kingdoms 1/5 · US P2W: Biggest pay to win game of all time.
  21. [R46] Rise of Kingdoms 1/5 · US Ads are an absolute mess: Let’s be real this game would’ve been fun if the ads weren’t false advertising and the bad acting for the actors and actresses.
  22. [R53] Rise of Kingdoms 1/5 · US False advertisement: Game is nothing like that ads
  23. [R64] Clash of Clans 1/5 · US Don’t download: When I tried to make an Alr account it deleted my main
  24. [R67] Clash of Clans 1/5 · US Account: I had an account on my android and got an iPhone I tryed to find it but I used google but tried figuring out how to get it on my iPhone couldn’t get it or find it never got assistance for it or anything why I stop playing and what waste of a account was happy I never got the assistance I need for it

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store