Choose Bloons TD 5
Choose Bloons TD 5 if you want the Multi-player, Online Co-op, and Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 94.9% positive across 7,361 reviews.
Bloons TD 5 vs Bloons TD Battles
Bloons TD 5 and Bloons TD Battles both land in Action, Strategy on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Action, Strategy on Steam. Bloons TD 5 (2014) is 2 years older than Bloons TD Battles (2016). Bloons TD 5 scores higher on Steam reviews (94.9% positive) than Bloons TD Battles (90.6% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Bloons TD Battles
Choose Bloons TD Battles if you want a Free To Play experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. 21,230 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Bloons TD 5 and Bloons TD Battles sit in Action and Strategy on Steam and both list Steam Leaderboards, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Bloons TD 5 |  Bloons TD Battles | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2014 | 2016 |
| Genres | Action, Strategy | Action, Strategy, Free To Play |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | 9.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 94.9% positive (7,361 reviews) | 90.6% positive (21,230 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | Ninja Kiwi | Ninja Kiwi |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Strategy on Steam.
- Bloons TD 5 (2014) is 2 years older than Bloons TD Battles (2016).
- Bloons TD 5 scores higher on Steam reviews (94.9% positive) than Bloons TD Battles (90.6% positive).
- Bloons TD Battles is free; Bloons TD 5 is paid (9.99 USD).
- Bloons TD 5 has co-op; Bloons TD Battles does not.
- Both are Deck Playable.
Bloons TD 5 vs Bloons TD Battles — FAQ
- Which is better, Bloons TD 5 or Bloons TD Battles?
- On Steam reviews Bloons TD 5 scores higher (94.9% positive) than Bloons TD Battles (90.6% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Bloons TD 5 is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Bloons TD 5 or Bloons TD Battles first?
- If you want chronology, Bloons TD 5 (2014) came out before Bloons TD Battles (2016). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Bloons TD 5 and Bloons TD Battles similar?
- They overlap on Action, Strategy on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Does Bloons TD Battles have multiplayer like Bloons TD 5?
- No. Bloons TD 5 supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op), while Bloons TD Battles is listed as without multiplayer support.
- Is Bloons TD Battles free?
- Yes — Bloons TD Battles is a free-to-play Steam title. Bloons TD 5 is paid (9.99 USD).