Ads: where, for whom, and at what price
Free Mobile Games Without Ads: What Is Actually Ad-Free
A game with no ads in its first hour can still be a game with ads. This guide lists eight mobile games whose ad status is stated by the developer, a publisher or an official store, and says exactly which part is ad-free: the whole game, one platform, or only after you pay.
The short answer
Completely ad-free and completely free on the platforms named: Lichess (iOS and Android), Simon Tatham's Portable Puzzle Collection (Android) and Unciv (Android).
Ad-free, but with a price somewhere: Shattered Pixel Dungeon and Mindustry are free on Android and paid on iOS; The Battle of Polytopia is ad-free but sells extra tribes; Netflix Games are ad-free only with a paid membership; Chess.com is ad-free only after you buy a Premium membership.
Four different things "ad-free" can mean
- Ad-free for everyoneNo ads in any mode, on any supported platform, for free users.
- Ad-free on one platformNo ads anywhere, but the game is only free on one store and paid on the other.
- Ad-free after a purchaseThe free version shows ads; a one-time purchase or a membership removes them.
- Ad-free inside a subscriptionNo ads in the game, but you only get the game while a paid plan runs.
Two more traps to watch for. First, ad-free in one mode is not ad-free in the whole game: some games keep ads out of the main mode but offer "watch an ad for a reward" elsewhere. Second, the first hours tell you little. A game can open cleanly and introduce ads or offers later. That is why we rely on what the developer and the store state for the whole game, not on a first impression.
How we selected these eight
- The ad status is stated in an official source: the developer's site, support page, official store listing, or an F-Droid listing, where apps with advertising are flagged with an "Ads" anti-feature.
- We name the scope: which platform, which version, and whether a purchase or plan is needed.
- The game is available today on an official store, checked on 21 September 2026.
- No guessing. Where an official source does not mention ads, the game is not listed as ad-free, even if it may well be.
We have not hands-on tested these games. Everything is based on official information and public documentation.
Eight mobile games and exactly what is ad-free
Grouped from "ad-free with no conditions" to "ad-free only if you pay".
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Lichess
Chess. Open-source, volunteer-run, donation-funded. iOS and Android.
- Ad-free scope
- Whole app, all users "No ads, no tracking"
- Condition
- None. "Everybody gets all features for free"
- Still costs
- Nothing; donations are voluntary
Suits: anyone who plays chess on a phone and wants online play, puzzles and analysis without ads or a subscription.
Limits: chess only. Online games need a connection.
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Simon Tatham's Portable Puzzle Collection
About 40 logic puzzles, open-source Android port. Android.
- Ad-free scope
- Whole app no anti-features on F-Droid
- Condition
- None; runs fully offline with minimal permissions
- Still costs
- Nothing
Suits: people who want quiet, offline puzzles with no pop-ups at all.
Limits: this port is Android only; we did not check iOS versions of the collection.
F-Droid listing for the puzzle collection · Android port source with Google Play link
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Unciv
Turn-based 4X strategy, open-source. Android and desktop.
- Ad-free scope
- Whole game "free with no ads", per the project
- Condition
- None
- Still costs
- Nothing
Suits: long strategy campaigns with no interruptions between turns.
Limits: no iOS app. Mods are community-made and downloaded separately.
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Shattered Pixel Dungeon
Roguelike dungeon crawler by the independent studio Shattered Pixel. Android, iOS, desktop.
- Ad-free scope
- Whole game, every platform
- Condition
- Platform free on Android; paid download on iOS ($4.99 in the US store at our check)
- Still costs
- Optional supporter purchase on Android for cosmetic extras
Suits: Android players who want a deep game with no ads and no gameplay purchases.
Limits: on iPhone, ad-free means paying once up front. The supporter extras, such as renaming heroes and items, do not change gameplay.
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Mindustry
Factory-building tower defense, open-source independent project. Android, iOS, desktop.
- Ad-free scope
- Whole game no anti-features on F-Droid; no in-app purchases listed on the App Store
- Condition
- Platform free on Android; paid download on iOS ($1.99 in the US store at our check)
- Still costs
- The iOS download only
Suits: players who want a large campaign and multiplayer without a shop or ad breaks.
Limits: free only on Android. Multiplayer needs a connection.
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The Battle of Polytopia
Turn-based civilization strategy by Midjiwan AB. iOS, Android and more.
- Ad-free scope
- Whole game "We have chosen to create a game that is free from ads."
- Condition
- None for ads
- Still costs
- Optional additional tribes as in-app purchases, $0.99 to $1.99 each on the US App Store at our check
Suits: short strategy matches with no interruptions, and players who accept paying for variety.
Limits: ad-free is not content-complete: only a starting set of tribes is free on mobile. The developer states tribes give no competitive advantage.
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Netflix Games
Mobile games included with a Netflix membership. iOS and Android.
- Ad-free scope
- All included games "No ads. No extra fees. No in-app purchases."
- Condition
- Subscription an active Netflix membership; on ad-supported plans, "Ads are not currently shown on games"
- Still costs
- The membership itself
Suits: existing Netflix subscribers, and families who want games with neither ads nor a shop.
Limits: not free on its own, and "currently" is Netflix's own qualifier for ads on ad-supported plans. Games can leave the catalog.
Netflix Help Center: playing games on mobile · Netflix Help Center: ads on Netflix
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Chess.com
Chess play and lessons by Chess.com, LLC. iOS and Android.
- Ad-free scope
- Paid members only "Premium members enjoy Chess.com without ads"
- Condition
- A recurring membership (Gold, Platinum or Diamond on the App Store)
- Still costs
- The membership; the free tier shows ads
Suits: players who want Chess.com's community and lessons and are prepared to subscribe for an ad-free experience.
Limits: this is the "ad-free after purchase" model. If your goal is chess with no ads and no payment, Lichess is the listed alternative.
What exactly is ad-free, at a glance
| Game | Ad-free for | Condition | Other costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lichess | Everyone | None | None |
| Simon Tatham's Puzzles | Everyone (Android) | None | None |
| Unciv | Everyone (Android) | None | None |
| Shattered Pixel Dungeon | Everyone | iOS is a paid download | Cosmetic supporter extras |
| Mindustry | Everyone | iOS is a paid download | None listed |
| The Battle of Polytopia | Everyone | None | Extra tribes |
| Netflix Games | Netflix members | Active membership | None inside games |
| Chess.com | Premium members | Paid membership | Membership |
Why some well-known games are missing
Several popular free-to-play games may have no ads, but their official pages do not say so. On our overview of what free means for ten mobile games we list Pokémon GO and Brawl Stars with their purchase models; neither official page we checked addresses ads, so we do not list them here as ad-free. Being absent from this page is not a claim that a game shows ads.
How to check a game's ads before you install
On Google Play
Look under the install button for the "Contains ads" and "In-app purchases" labels. They are declared by the developer, so treat them as a floor, not a guarantee of the experience.
On the Apple App Store
Scroll to the "In-App Purchases" list. An item called something like "Remove Ads" tells you the free version shows ads, and exactly what the ad-free version costs.
On F-Droid
F-Droid marks apps with anti-features such as "Ads" or "Tracking". An open-source app with no anti-features listed is a strong sign of a clean, ad-free build.
In the developer's own words
Support pages and FAQs often say it plainly, as Polytopia's does. Watch for qualifiers such as "currently": Netflix uses that word about ads on its games.
Ad-free is not the same as free
Removing ads usually moves the cost somewhere else: a one-time price on one platform, a shop for extra content, a membership, or a subscription you pay for other reasons. The only games on this page with neither ads nor any price on the platforms named are the open-source, donation-funded ones. If ads bother you less than a shop does, a free-to-play game may suit you better; if both bother you, start at the top of the list.
Questions about ad-free mobile games
Is there a completely free mobile game with no ads and no purchases?
Yes. On this page, Lichess (iOS and Android), Simon Tatham's Portable Puzzle Collection (Android) and Unciv (Android) have no ads and nothing to buy.
Does a "Remove Ads" purchase remove every ad?
Not always. It depends on the game. Some keep optional "watch an ad for a reward" offers even after purchase. Read the purchase description and the developer's FAQ for the exact wording.
Are Netflix games really free?
They cost nothing extra and have no ads or in-app purchases, according to Netflix. But they require a paid Netflix membership, so they are included, not free.
Why do you list games that cost money on iPhone?
Because the question here is ads. Shattered Pixel Dungeon and Mindustry are ad-free everywhere, free on Android and paid on iOS. We state both facts so you can decide for your own phone.
Sources
Checked: 21 September 2026
- Lichess mobile app page
- Simon Tatham's Puzzles on F-Droid and Android port repository
- Unciv repository and F-Droid listing
- Shattered Pixel Dungeon developer page and App Store listing
- Mindustry on F-Droid and App Store listing
- Polytopia support page and App Store listing
- Netflix Help Center: games on mobile and Netflix Help Center: ads on Netflix
- Chess.com membership page and App Store listing