Dead Cells vs PUBG Mobile
Which is better in 2026? Five scores, side by side.
Dead Cells is the better app overall, scoring 9.2 to 8.1. Dead Cells wins on 4 of the 5 scores, PUBG Mobile on 0, with 1 tied.
Players who want a deep, premium roguelite with no ads or timers
Battle royale fans who want realistic gunplay and big 100-player matches
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Dead Cells | PUBG Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Action & Shooter Games | Action & Shooter Games |
| Category rank | #1 of 8 | #6 of 8 |
| Developer | Playdigious | Tencent Games |
| Pricing | Paid | Free + paid plans |
| Usable for free | No | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mac | ✓ | — |
| Windows | ✓ | — |
| Linux | ✓ | — |
Common questions
Is Dead Cells better than PUBG Mobile?
Dead Cells is the better app overall, scoring 9.2 to 8.1. Dead Cells wins on 4 of the 5 scores, PUBG Mobile on 0, with 1 tied.
Which is cheaper, Dead Cells or PUBG Mobile?
Dead Cells: $8.99 on the App Store, $8.49 on Google Play; four DLC packs sold separately. PUBG Mobile: Free to play; UC from $0.99, PUBGM Prime listed at $0.99 a month. On value for money, Dead Cells scores higher.
Do Dead Cells and PUBG Mobile work on the same devices?
Only Dead Cells runs on Windows, Mac, Linux.
Which is more private, Dead Cells or PUBG Mobile?
Dead Cells scores higher on privacy (9.2/10). App Store label: user content and diagnostics may be collected but are not linked to you, and nothing is used to track you. Google Play lists only app performance data.
Strengths and weaknesses
Dead Cells
- One price, no ads, no energy timers
- Combat feels precise even on a touchscreen
- Huge variety of weapons, biomes and bosses
- Major content updates have ended on mobile
- DLC packs cost extra, up to $6.99 each
- Steep difficulty can frustrate newcomers
Dead Cells is the action game to buy if you want one that respects your time and money. Each run through the shifting castle mixes fast, precise combat with weapons and shortcuts you unlock as you go, so even dying feels like progress. The mobile port has thoughtful touch controls, full controller support and all four expansions. Big content updates have ended, so what you get now is the finished game.
Full Dead Cells review
PUBG Mobile
- Grounded gunplay with deep control customization
- Runs on iPhones as old as the iPhone 6
- Large themed updates every two months
- Crates and passes push spending
- Google Play listing notes it contains ads
- Lots of menus, events and pop-ups
PUBG Mobile is the battle royale that made the genre work on phones, and it still feels the most grounded. You drop into 100-player Classic matches on maps like Erangel, loot, and play the zone, with 4v4 Arena and Infection modes when you want something quicker. It supports iPhones going back to the iPhone 6. Big themed updates land about every two months, but crates, passes and event pop-ups push hard.
Full PUBG Mobile review
