7 picks · Updated August 2026 · By the Tideward team

Games like Idle Clans, ranked for 2026.

Idle Clans made multiplayer RuneScape-idle work: clans, a shared market, a phone-native app. People go looking for alternatives from two directions, wanting the same thing with more depth, or wanting the same skill grid without the connection, the reward ads, or the shop. Both directions are covered here, honestly, with a disclosure on #1.

On an iPhone, iPad, or Mac? Tideward, our offline no-ads pick on this list, is free in TestFlight alpha right now, no account or ads.

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Want more of what Idle Clans does? IdleMMO is the closest multiplayer sibling and Idlescape has the deepest economy. Want the same loop without the always-online part? Melvor Idle is the solo standard, and Tideward (ours) runs the whole game fully offline, native on every Apple device, with no ads and one $9.99 unlock. All seven are compared below.

How the 7 compare at a glance

The dividing line is the same one that splits the whole genre: always-online with a server advancing your task, or a simulation that runs on your own device. Filter by what matters to you.

# Game Platforms Offline Price Multiplayer
1 Tidewardours iPhone + 5 more 24h on-device Free alpha, $9.99 Solo
2 IdleMMO iOS, Android, Web Server-synced Free + shop MMO
3 Melvor Idle iOS, Android, Steam, Web 24h on-device $9.99 + DLC Solo
4 Idlescape Web, Steam Tab-close sim Free + perks MMO economy
5 Milky Way Idle Web, Steam (EA) Online sim Free + IAP Market
6 Old School RuneScape iOS, Android, PC Online only Free + $14/mo MMO
7 Melvor Idle 2 Steam (EA upcoming) TBA TBA Solo

Tip: tap Plays offline to see the two that run with no connection. Game facts last verified August 2026; page updated August 2026.

Why people go looking for an Idle Clans alternative

Idle Clans is genuinely good at what it set out to be, and the reasons players search for something else are consistent and specific:

  • The connection requirement. Your selected task advances server-side while you are away (12 hours base, up to 24 with upgrades and Premium), but you cannot play at all without a connection. A flight or a dead zone is downtime.
  • The reward ads and the shop. Optional, and fairer than most (Premium can be earned with in-game gold on the player market), but some players want a game with no ad button anywhere in it.
  • Wanting deeper solo play. The clan layer is the point of Idle Clans; players who discover they mostly ignore it end up happier in Melvor Idle or Tideward, where the whole design assumes you are alone with the grind.

Each pick below is tagged for which of those doors it opens. The two that run genuinely offline, Tideward and Melvor Idle, sit at the top of that particular hill; the full away-cap table across the genre is here.

  1. #1

    Tideward

    The offline, no-ads counterpoint

    The deliberate opposite of Idle Clans on every axis that pulls people away from it: fully offline (the 24-hour away window computes on your own device, no server), solo by design, no ads or reward videos anywhere, and one $9.99 unlock instead of a shop. Same RuneScape-lineage skill grid underneath, 28 trades across combat, gathering, artisan, and wayfaring, native on every Apple device.

    Tideward running on Mac: a RuneScape-lineage idle RPG with 28 trades and offline gains
    Tideward on Mac. The same build runs native on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Vision Pro, and Apple Watch.
    Pros
    • Runs fully offline, on-device, no connection or account
    • No ads, no reward videos, no token shop
    • Native on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Vision Pro, Apple Watch
    • One $9.99 unlock at launch, free alpha now
    Cons
    • Apple ecosystem only
    • Solo by design: no clans, no shared market
    • Alpha now; launches Feb 11, 2027
    Where to play: TestFlight alpha → App Store, Feb 11, 2027

    Disclosure: we publish Tideward, and this list. It leads on a narrow axis: if what pulls you away from Idle Clans is wanting the loop offline, solo, and without ads or a connection, Tideward is built for exactly that. If what you love about Idle Clans is the clan and the market, IdleMMO and Idlescape are the closer matches, and we say so below.

  2. #2

    IdleMMO

    The closest multiplayer sibling

    The nearest thing to Idle Clans that is not Idle Clans: a browser-born idle MMO around AFK skill loops, guilds, dungeons, and a social layer, now with native iOS and Android apps. Lighter on economy than Idlescape, heavier on presentation.

    Pros
    • Free to play
    • Native iOS and Android apps
    • Active, welcoming community
    Cons
    • Always-online: account required
    • Less mechanical depth than Idlescape
    • Cosmetic shop and membership perks
    Where to play: iOS, Android, browser
    Visit idle-mmo.com
  3. #3

    Melvor Idle

    The solo standard

    The genre's deepest solo skilling sandbox, built on RuneScape's skill grid and published by Jagex (RuneScape's studio). No clans and no market, which is the point: nothing in it asks you to log in on someone else's schedule, and it banks a full 24 hours offline on your own device.

    Pros
    • Deep skill tree, a thousand-plus hours
    • $9.99 one-time unlock, no ads, no reward videos
    • Native iOS, Android, Steam, plus browser
    • Banks a full 24 hours offline, on-device
    Cons
    • No multiplayer at all, if that is what you came for
    • Full library needs paid DLC
    • Browser-flavored UI on mobile
    Where to play: iOS, Android, Steam, browser
    Visit melvoridle.com
  4. #4

    Idlescape

    The deepest economy

    If the player market is the part of Idle Clans you check first, Idlescape is the upgrade: a long-running browser idle-MMORPG with the deepest player-driven economy in this cluster and RuneScape-flavored skills throughout. The interface shows its age next to newer entries.

    Pros
    • Deepest market and economy here
    • In active development since 2018
    • Free with optional supporter perks
    Cons
    • Browser-first, so a weaker phone experience
    • Always-online; account required
    • UI feels dated
    Where to play: Browser (idlescape.com), Steam
    Visit idlescape.com
  5. #5

    Milky Way Idle

    Market-first, sci-fi skin

    Mechanically one of the truest RuneScape-idle analogs, reskinned to asteroids and aliens, with a live player market at the center of its loop. Browser-first with a Steam Early Access build, always online, and no official iOS app, on a phone you are playing the website.

    Pros
    • Tight combat math
    • A real player-driven economy
    • Free with optional purchases
    Cons
    • No native Apple app (browser or Steam)
    • Always-online
    • Early Access; reviews have cooled on balance
    Where to play: Browser (milkywayidle.com), Steam
    Visit milkywayidle.com
  6. #6

    Old School RuneScape

    The common ancestor

    The game Idle Clans's whole skill grid descends from. Not an idle game by genre, but AFK-friendly skilling (fishing, cooking, Nightmare Zone) is how most players actually engage with it, and the clan scene is the deepest social layer on this page by twenty years.

    Pros
    • Two decades of content depth
    • Native iOS and Android app
    • Real clans, real economy, weekly updates
    Cons
    • Membership for the full game (about $14/mo)
    • Always-online; account required
    • Expects clicks; not built for true idle
    Where to play: iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Steam
    Visit oldschool.runescape.com
  7. #7

    Melvor Idle 2

    The one to watch (not out yet)

    The sequel to the solo standard, in alpha with a Steam Early Access target of "hopefully 2026" and no dated ETA. It stays solo in the Melvor mold: a Friends List is on its pre-1.0 roadmap, but no clans or shared economy have been announced. Mobile comes only after Steam Early Access, so it has no iOS build on any announced date.

    Pros
    • 12 skills and the full combat system already in alpha
    • Combat designed for build diversity
    • The most anticipated release in the genre
    Cons
    • Not playable publicly yet (alpha is Patreon-gated)
    • Steam-first; iOS and Android only after Early Access
    • No clans or shared economy announced
    Where to play: Steam Early Access, "hopefully 2026" per the developer
    Visit Steam page

Want the Idle Clans skill grid, offline and without the shop? Tideward is the on-device, no-ads pick here, free in TestFlight alpha.

Get the free alpha No account · no ads · no tracking · runs offline on all six Apple devices

Which one should you play?

  • You want Idle Clans but deeper, still multiplayer: IdleMMO, or Idlescape for the economy.
  • You want the skill grid solo, at maximum depth: Melvor Idle.
  • You want it offline, no ads, native on your iPhone: Tideward.
  • You want the market to be the game: Idlescape or Milky Way Idle.
  • You want the real thing the whole genre copies: Old School RuneScape.
  • You can wait for the sequel everyone is watching: Melvor Idle 2 (Steam-first, no iOS on any announced date).

Still deciding? Take the 30-second quiz and we'll point you to your best fit.

Frequently asked questions

Does Idle Clans work offline?

Partly. Idle Clans is an always-online game, you need a connection to play, but your selected task keeps advancing server-side while you are away: 12 hours base, extendable by up to 6 more hours through the in-game Upgrade dealership and another 6 with an active Premium membership, for a maximum of 24. That is different in kind from Melvor Idle and Tideward, which simulate your time away on your own device, so the full window works with no connection at all. The full genre-wide comparison of away caps is on our offline progression page.

How does Idle Clans make money?

The game is free. Monetization is optional reward ads (watch a video for a boost) plus in-app purchases: a Premium membership around $9.99, extra inventory space, and various convenience tokens. Notably, Premium can also be bought with in-game gold on the player market, so committed free players can earn it. If any of that is what you are moving away from, the one-purchase games on this list (Melvor Idle, Tideward) have no ads and no token shop.

Is there a game like Idle Clans without ads?

Yes. Melvor Idle is a $9.99 one-time unlock with no ads and no reward videos (optional paid DLC extends it). Tideward, ours, is free in TestFlight alpha now and becomes a free download with a single $9.99 unlock at launch, with no ads ever, and it adds what neither Idle Clans nor Melvor offers: the whole game running native on every Apple device, fully offline.

What is the closest game to Idle Clans with clans and a market?

IdleMMO is the closest overall sibling: multiplayer idle skilling with guilds and native mobile apps. Idlescape has the deepest player-driven economy in the cluster if the market is the part you care about. Milky Way Idle is the truest mechanical analog with a live market, but browser or Steam only. And Old School RuneScape itself has the deepest clan scene of all, if you can live with an MMO's schedule.

Are there games like Idle Clans on iOS?

Idle Clans itself has a native iOS app, and so do IdleMMO, Melvor Idle, and Old School RuneScape. Idlescape and Milky Way Idle are browser or Steam only on a phone. Tideward is the Apple-native pick: one purchase covers native builds on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Vision Pro, and Apple Watch, and it is the only game here that runs fully offline on all of them.

Will Melvor Idle 2 have clans like Idle Clans?

Nothing announced suggests so. Melvor Idle 2 stays a solo idle RPG in the Melvor mold; a Friends List is on its pre-1.0 roadmap, but no clans or shared economy have been announced. It targets Steam Early Access "hopefully 2026" with mobile only afterward. Our Melvor Idle 2 release date tracker follows every public source.

Founding Tester program · free

Want the grind offline, with no shop? Become a Founding Tester.

Tideward takes the RuneScape-lineage skill grid Idle Clans runs on and builds it offline-first: the 24-hour away window computes on your own device, with no server, no account, and no ads. The alpha is open now: one email locks in free access on all six Apple devices, a permanent founder badge, first crack at every build, a vote on the roadmap, and your name in the credits at launch.

Become a Founding Tester See the offline math

Free in TestFlight · Discord-first · no account, no ads, no tracking