If you're searching for games like gta mobile that are actually free and deliver the same open-world crime action, driving, and shooting experience as Grand Theft Auto on Android and iOS, only two titles have been verified from official App Store listings to meet those standards.
Best games like GTA mobile: verified free picks
The search for a free GTA alternative on mobile is crowded with lookalikes that often fail to deliver on performance, device support, or actual gameplay. After checking official store pages, only two games have been verified with accurate system requirements, version numbers, and feature details. These are the picks you can trust to work on your device right now.
1. Gangstar Vegas: World of Crime
Gangstar Vegas drops you into an open-world Las Vegas where you play as a boxer pulled into a gang war. The core loop matches GTA's driving and shooting mechanics: you race through the city, engage in six-gun action missions, street fights, and boxing matches, and battle crime clans and mafia cartels. Seasonal updates and limited-time events keep the content fresh. The game requires iOS 13.0 or later, iPadOS 13.0 or later, or iPod touch iOS 13.0 or later, and supports game controllers. Gangstar Vegas controller support requires iOS 7 or later and is compatible with iPhone 5, iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, iPad 2 or later, and iPod touch (5th generation). The current version on the App Store is Version 890.
2. Armed Heist: Shooting Games
Armed Heist is a third-person bank robber shooter with over 70 dynamic heist challenges. Each challenge plays out differently based on your gun skills and movement, so repeating a mission requires new tactics. You can customize weapons and outfits extensively, including bulletproof vests, masks, and weapon skins. The game requires iOS 15.0 or later, iPadOS 15.0 or later, iPod touch iOS 15.0 or later, and Apple Vision visionOS 1.0 or later. The lowest supported device is the iPhone 6s or iPad mini 4, and the current version is 3.3.0.
3. Gangstar New Orleans OpenWorld
Gangstar New Orleans OpenWorld follows the same mechanics as GTA with driving and shooting in a New Orleans setting where dubious cops and Voodoo priests get involved. You can roam the vast city freely, collect various weapons, take part in shootouts, and drive hundreds of vehicles. The game lets you claim islands, build a mansion, and show off collected vehicles, features Turf Wars where you defend your gang and raid opponents' territories for free resources, and allows fusing and upgrading guns and vehicles.
4. New Gangster Crime
New Gangster Crime is an offline action-adventure game set in a modern city divided by rival criminal groups. You play an ordinary gangster starting at the bottom, taking on action-oriented missions to climb the ranks of the criminal underworld. The game requires renovating and upgrading buildings and developing the economy in territories to earn profit. You can explore a three-dimensional open world freely, complete tasks to unlock items and increase popularity, and build your own clan to defend your turf and raid enemy territories.
5. Payback 2 - The Battle Sandbox
Payback 2 captures the look and feel of GTA scenery with its own unique gameplay. The game features 50 campaign events ranging from street brawls to tank battles to intense helicopter races, nine modes including custom mode to design your own event, and seven cities to explore. It has multiplayer support for raiding territories and racing with friends globally, and offers hourly, daily, and weekly challenges so you never run out of tasks to complete.
6. Gangs Town Story
Gangs Town Story captures the unmistakable GTA feel with a well-rendered open world filled with crooked cops, gangsters, thieves, and chaos. Your goal is to destroy the gangster mafia and create your own criminal state by escaping the police, facing rival gangs in gang wars, joining street fights, stealing cars, and raiding turfs. You can choose from hundreds of guns, grenades, and flamethrowers, and unlock premium clothing pieces that grant superpowers.
7. Los Angeles Crimes
Los Angeles Crimes is a lightweight action-adventure game that performs well on low-end phones. You can explore six maps or create your very own world and discover maps created by other players. The game supports PS4 controller via Bluetooth and includes modes such as free roam, car race, team death-match, zombie survival, and soccer. You can easily switch between first-person and third-person POVs during shootouts.
8. MadOut2 BigCityOnline
MadOut2 BigCityOnline features a massive map, realistic car physics, and endless customization options. You can take more than 40 types of cars for a ride across its scenic open world and design them however you want. The gameplay involves picking up weapons, fighting other gangsters, and driving vehicles to escape enemies. You can join multiplayer mode where you can play with up to 100 players on a single map.
9. Grand City Thug Crime
Grand City Thug Crime focuses on wreaking havoc as a hero rather than a criminal. Gangsters have taken over and are smuggling truckloads of weapons into another city, and your goal is to foil their plans and recover these weapons. The game has various crime missions with time limits, four different gangster modes to play in including a challenge mode with ten increasingly difficult levels, and features engaging sound effects and easy controls.
10. Real Gangster Crime 2
Real Gangster Crime 2 is an action-adventure third-person shooter game with a vast open world. You play a character who leads a life of crime, honing gangster skills by stealing money, driving snatched cars, and completing dirty jobs. You can meet feuding factions and decide which team to play for, interact with nonplayer characters to accomplish specific tasks, and take part in head-to-head combat against other gang members. Vehicles at your disposal include helicopters and military tanks.
11. Dude Theft Wars
Dude Theft Wars is a low-poly open-world game that involves shooting, driving, and heists with physical comedy, ragdoll stunts, and memes added for humor. The game takes place in a city called Dude-O-Polis where your goal is to cause as much trouble as possible by stealing cars, participating in slap fights, throwing grenades, raiding buildings, and shooting other characters. The more damage you cause, the more points you get, but the number and strength of armed forces intensify with every crime you commit.
12. Pako 2
Pako 2 is an arcade driving game where you play as a getaway driver who helps bandits carry out their heists. Your main goal is to pick them up from their heist spots and drive them to safety while cops fire at you from every direction. Each successful run earns you money to buy locations and fill your garage with new cars, and you will also need sophisticated weaponry to ensure your crew's survival.
13. Rope Hero: Vice Town
You can choose to be a crime-busting hero working alongside the police to fight gangsters or join the mafia and wreak havoc across the city. You can drive sports cars, cross bikes, helicopters, and more, and have access to a massive collection of powerful weapons including freeze rays, flamethrowers, and shotguns. Your super rope helps you navigate the city with great ease.
14. Vegas Crime Simulator
Vegas Crime Simulator combines all the elements of GTA into one chaotic mix. You can choose whether to be one of the good guys or the bad guys, and you will have to steal cars, get into fights with criminals, and perform death-defying tasks to level up. You can drive sports cars, helicopters, military tanks, and even massive robots that turn into cars. The game offers lots of customization choices, and various items in the clothing store improve both style and skills such as strength and driving ability.
15. Grand Gangsters 3D
Grand Gangsters 3D is a lightweight game that will not take much of a toll on your phone. The goal is to climb the ranks of criminal masterminds and wreak as much havoc as you can. The game offers four districts to explore, and in each district you get to accomplish numerous tasks that involve stealing cars, outrunning the police, and shooting other gangsters. There are 15 weapons to choose from and tons of auto vehicles to help you complete your missions.
What to check before downloading other games like GTA
Before you download any game claiming to be a GTA alternative, verify the official App Store or Google Play Store listing. Check the listed device compatibility, minimum iOS or Android version, and whether the developer has published recent updates. Avoid games that lack official support pages or show contradictory system requirements. Other titles such as Gangstar New Orleans OpenWorld, New Gangster Crime, Payback 2 - The Battle Sandbox, Gangs Town Story, Los Angeles Crimes, MadOut2 BigCityOnline, Grand City Thug Crime, and Real Gangster Crime 2 do not have documented official support data available for verification here. Los Angeles Crimes supports PS4 controller via Bluetooth, lets you create your own world and discover maps created by other players, and includes modes: free roam, car race, team death-match, zombie survival, and soccer.
Want the real GTA on mobile?
If you'd rather play the authentic experience instead of an alternative, you can find a dedicated guide on how to get GTA 5 on mobile through the site's hub page, which covers the methods and requirements for playing the full game on your phone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I play Gangstar Vegas offline?
Gangstar Vegas requires an internet connection for certain features like seasonal updates and limited-time events, but the main open-world gameplay and missions can be played offline once downloaded.
Does Armed Heist have multiplayer?
Armed Heist is primarily a single-player experience focused on bank heist challenges. It does not feature real-time multiplayer modes, but the dynamic scenarios provide replayability.
Why aren't the other games on this list verified?
The official App Store and Google Play Store pages for those titles did not provide complete or consistent device compatibility, version numbers, or feature details during verification. Without confirmed data, they cannot be recommended as reliable GTA alternatives.
What if my device doesn't meet the requirements for these two games?
If your device is older than iPhone 6s or iPad mini 4, or runs an iOS version below 13.0, neither Gangstar Vegas nor Armed Heist will run properly. You may need to upgrade your device or look for lower-spec alternatives, though none have been verified here.
Are these games free to play without in-app purchases?
Both games are free to download and play, but they include optional in-app purchases for items like weapons, outfits, and currency. You can progress through the main content without spending money.
For the wider topic, see get GTA 5 on mobile.
