The surest way to play mobile games with no ads is to pay once or subscribe. Paid games like Stardew Valley ($4.99) and Universal Paperclips ($1.99) have no ads or in-app purchases. Apple Arcade ($6.99 a month), Netflix Games (included with a Netflix membership) and Google Play Pass all promise games with no ads or in-app purchases. Free games are almost always ad-supported, but many let you remove ads or only show them when you ask.
Prices below are US App Store prices, checked in September 2026.
Why do free games have ads? #
A free game has to make money somehow, and ads let it stay free for everyone who doesn’t want to pay. Most use some mix of banner ads, full-screen ads at breaks, and rewarded ads you choose to watch for a bonus. The rewarded kind is the least intrusive, and we explain it in rewarded ads in mobile games, explained.
If you’d rather not see ads at all, you have four real options.
Option 1: Buy a paid game #
A one-time purchase is the simplest route. These listings either say outright that there are no ads or in-app purchases, or don’t mention any:
| Game | Price | What the listing says |
|---|---|---|
| Stardew Valley | $4.99 | “No in-app purchases.” |
| Universal Paperclips | $1.99 | “No ads, no in-app purchases, full gameplay.” |
| Pocket City 2 | $4.99 | “No microtransactions or long wait times” |
| Game Dev Story | $4.99 | No ads or purchases mentioned |
| Mini Metro | $3.99 | No ads or purchases mentioned |
| Townscaper | $4.99 | No ads or purchases mentioned |
| Papa’s Cupcakeria To Go! | $1.99 | No ads or purchases mentioned |
| RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic | $5.99 | Optional expansion packs sold in the app |
One caution: a price tag doesn’t always mean ad-free. Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete costs $19.99 and has no in-game purchases, but Nintendo’s listing says it “may include advertising.” Read the listing before you buy.
Option 2: Subscribe #
Apple Arcade #
Apple Arcade costs $6.99 a month or $49.99 a year, and Apple’s promise is plain: “No ads. No in-app purchases. No interruptions.” You can share one membership with up to five people, and Apple says the games can be played online or offline. The catalog has hundreds of games, including Alba: A Wildlife Adventure and special editions like Game Dev Story+.
Netflix Games #
Netflix members get mobile games at no extra cost. Netflix says there are “No ads. No extra fees. No in-app purchases,” and lists more than 80 exclusive mobile games, such as Cozy Grove: Camp Spirit.
Google Play Pass #
On Android, Google Play Pass gives access to over 1,000 games and apps with no ads or in-app purchases for the titles it includes, and the family manager can share it with up to five family members. Stardew Valley, for example, is listed as free with a Play Pass subscription.
Subscriptions for young children #
Some kids’ apps work the same way. Pok Pok’s listing says “No ads,” and Sago Mini World shows no ads or in-app purchases to subscribers. We cover more in cozy games for kids.
Option 3: Pick free games that let you avoid ads #
Some free games make ads optional or let you pay to remove them:
| Game | How ads work |
|---|---|
| Toca Boca World | Listing promises “No third-party ads ever”; sells optional packs |
| Usagi Shima | Ads only when you choose them; paid “tip” options remove them |
| Cookie Clicker (Android) | DashNet sells a separate ad-less version |
| Exponential Idle | Ads are optional; a $1.99 Permanent Ad Reward makes the ad boost permanent |
| Cats & Soup | Optional ads; a 7-day ad removal pass for $0.99 |
| AdVenture Capitalist | A 30-day ad removal pass for $14.99 |
Time-limited passes add up. If you’d keep paying for a pass every month, a paid game or subscription may cost less.
Option 4: Play offline #
Ads have to be downloaded, so a game that works without internet usually can’t show them when your phone is in airplane mode. Several idle games say they play offline, including Bunny Bakery, Usagi Shima and Tap Titans 2.
The trade-offs are real. Any rewards that come from watching ads won’t work, and you’ll miss anything that needs a connection, like events or cloud saves. We list games that run without a connection in idle games that work offline.
Where Bunny Bakery fits #
We make Bunny Bakery, so here’s how it handles ads. It’s free and supported by ads, and it has no in-app purchases, which also means there’s no paid way to remove them. A banner sits below the tab bar, and full-screen ads can appear at breaks, such as after a batch of shop purchases, when you come back after a few minutes away, or after a prestige, with at least 90 seconds between them. Rewarded ads are optional and give boosts.
Because the whole game works offline, playing without a connection means the ads can’t load. You’ll lose the optional boosts and the ad doublers, but you can still collect the normal offline earnings and daily bonus. It isn’t an ad-free game, and we’d rather say so plainly.
Ads aren’t the only interruption #
Some games skip ads but still interrupt you with energy meters, lives or build timers that you can pay to skip. If that’s what bothers you most, see mobile games without energy timers.
Frequently asked questions #
Are there any free games with no ads at all? #
A few. Toca Boca World’s listing promises “No third-party ads ever,” though it sells optional packs. Most other free games carry some ads, so paid games and subscriptions are the more reliable route.
Is Apple Arcade worth it to avoid ads? #
If you play several games a month, often. It costs $6.99 a month or $49.99 a year, can be shared with up to five people, and every game in it has no ads or in-app purchases.
Does airplane mode block ads in games? #
In games that work offline, usually yes, because ads can’t load without a connection. Anything that needs internet, including ad-based rewards, stops working too.
Do Netflix games have ads? #
No. Netflix says its mobile games have no ads, no extra fees and no in-app purchases, and they’re included with a Netflix membership.