Games like SimCity you can play free
Updated 5 November 2026
The quickest way to play a city builder like SimCity for free is in your browser. Metropolis 3000 runs in any browser, phones included, with nothing to download. MicropolisWeb runs the original 1989 SimCity code, open-sourced as Micropolis, in a browser tab. For a big modern city on a PC, Cities: Skylines is the one most players pick, and it's paid.
| Game | Plays in | Cost | What you need | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metropolis 3000 | Browser, phone or PC | Free | Nothing | A full city builder right now, on any device |
| MicropolisWeb | Browser | Free, open source | Nothing | The original 1989 city sim, as it was |
| Cities: Skylines | Windows, Mac, Linux, consoles | Paid | Steam or a console store | Big, detailed cities on a PC |
| Pocket City 2 | iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac | Paid | An app store or Steam | A complete city builder on a phone, with no ads |
| SimCity BuildIt | iPhone, Android | Free with in-app purchases | An internet connection | The official SimCity name on a phone |
| LinCity-NG | Linux, Windows | Free, open source | A download | A free economy-heavy city sim on a computer |
| Townscaper | Windows, Mac, consoles, phones; demo in a browser | Paid; free browser demo | Nothing for the demo | Relaxed town building with no goals |
The seven, in more detail
1. Metropolis 3000
Metropolis 3000 is our own game, so judge it for yourself. You start with an empty field and a budget: lay roads, zone homes, shops and industry, and keep the power, water and rubbish flowing as the city climbs through its tiers. An advisory team grows with your city and tells you what's going wrong.
There's a Career on any map size with a Mayor's Charter of goals, eighteen timed challenges from Founding Day to a debt rescue, and a Daily map that's the same for everyone. Run up debt for two years, or stay under 20% approval for a year, and the voters recall you. It saves in your browser, with no account and no ads.
2. MicropolisWeb
EA released the source code of the original SimCity in 2008, under the name Micropolis, because the licence doesn't allow the SimCity name. MicropolisWeb runs that code in a browser. It's the classic top-down city sim with its original rules and look. The project calls itself unfinished, so expect rough edges.
3. Cities: Skylines
The city builder most PC players pick today, with traffic simulation, districts, policies and a huge library of community mods. Cities: Skylines II is the sequel, for Windows only, and it asks more of your computer. Neither plays in a browser.
4. Pocket City 2
A small studio's premium city builder for phones, in 3D, where you can also walk your city as a character. You pay once, and there are no ads. The first Pocket City is still available too.
5. SimCity BuildIt
EA's mobile SimCity. It's free to start, but it's built around timers and in-app purchases, its App Store listing notes paid random items (loot boxes), and it needs to stay online. If you want the name and don't mind the shop, it's the official one.
6. LinCity-NG
A long-running open-source city and economy simulation. Its look is dated, but its economy runs deep: you balance resources, jobs and pollution so the city can sustain itself.
7. Townscaper
Not a city sim at all: there's no budget and no traffic. You click to place houses on the water and watch the town arrange itself. The free browser demo has a smaller grid and doesn't save.
Questions
- Can I play SimCity in a web browser?
- Not the official SimCity games, which are downloads or phone apps. MicropolisWeb runs the original 1989 SimCity code in a browser under its open-source name, Micropolis. Metropolis 3000 is a free modern city builder that runs in any browser, phones included.
- Is there a free game like SimCity?
- Yes. Metropolis 3000 is free in the browser with no ads, MicropolisWeb and LinCity-NG are free and open source, and SimCity BuildIt is free to start with in-app purchases.
- Is Metropolis 3000 a SimCity game?
- No. Metropolis 3000 is an original game made by Etheria. It shares the genre: zoning, roads, power, water and a budget. Its art, names and rules are its own. It is not affiliated with Electronic Arts.
- What is the best city builder on a phone?
- For a full city builder you pay for once, Pocket City 2. For free with no ads and no download, Metropolis 3000 in the phone's browser. SimCity BuildIt is free but built around in-app purchases.
Want to run a park instead of a city? See games like RollerCoaster Tycoon.
SimCity is a trademark of Electronic Arts Inc. Etheria and Metropolis 3000 are not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Electronic Arts. The other games named here belong to their makers. We list them because they're good, and we don't earn anything from the links.