War Thunder vs World of Warships
Pick World of Warships for a game built only around ships, with a published drop-chance page for its containers; pick War Thunder for ships next to aircraft and tanks, or to play on Mac or Linux. On our research scores, World of Warships is ahead, 7.9 to 7.4.
Updated ยท How we rate
Both scores come from our research reviews: official sources and player reviews, not our own play time. Each score follows a fixed formula.
A deep, long-running vehicle combat game where money speeds up research but, per Gaijin, does not buy stronger vehicles.
A long-running naval game with published container odds, where Premium ships and accounts speed up progress.
| Aspect | War Thunder | World of Warships |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 7.4 / 10 | 7.9 / 10 |
| Pay to win | Mild | Mild |
| Vehicles | More than 2,500 aircraft, helicopters, ground vehicles and ships | Ships only, more than 800 from the first half of the 20th century |
| PC platforms | Windows, Mac and Linux | Windows only (Wargaming has ended Mac support) |
| PC minimum | 4 GB RAM; 23.1 GB minimal client (Steam lists 70 GB) | 6 GB RAM; 67.2 GB installed |
| Steam reviews (English) | 72% positive of 329,901 | 79% positive of 49,665 |
| Premium time | Premium account for 20, 60 or 180 days ($7.49 to $39.99) | Premium Account (+65% XP, +50% Credits), optional 30-day auto-renewal |
| Paid random items | Keys for random trophies, no published odds | Premium containers with an official drop-chance page |
| Latest update checked | October 28, 2026: updated Sun City and American Desert maps | October 7, 2026: Update 15.9 |
How they differ
World of Warships is built around ships alone: more than 800 of them from the first half of the 20th century, on Windows. In War Thunder, ships are one of four vehicle types, next to aircraft, helicopters and ground vehicles, and naval battles can include aircraft. War Thunder also runs on Mac and Linux and asks for less memory: 4 GB of RAM for its minimal client, against 6 GB for World of Warships.
Money and pay to win
Both rate as mildly pay to win: in each, a premium account and premium vehicles or ships speed up progress, and World of Warships' Premium ships earn more XP and Credits than tech-tree ships. On random items, World of Warships publishes drop chances for its Premium containers; War Thunder publishes no odds for its trophy keys.
FAQ
Is War Thunder or World of Warships better for naval battles?
World of Warships is the one built only around ships, and it scores higher on our research formula, 7.9 to 7.4. War Thunder suits players who want ships alongside aircraft and tanks. Both scores can change once we play the games.
Which is more pay to win?
Both rate as mildly pay to win. World of Warships publishes odds for its paid containers, which War Thunder does not do for its trophy keys.