Which Costs More puts two things side by side and asks one question: which is more expensive? A gallon of printer ink or a gallon of milk. A 30-second Super Bowl ad or a Bugatti. Making a nickel or making a penny. You get ten seconds per pair, and the answer is often not the one you'd bet on.
Play alone, or send one link to your group chat and have everyone answer the same questions together. It works in any browser, and nobody has to sign up.
How to play Which Costs More
- Pick a mode. Play starts a solo game. Play online gives you a room link, and each player joins on their own device. Same device lets a group take turns on one phone.
- Start the game. Online, the host presses Start game once at least one friend has joined.
- Tap the pricier one. Each round shows two items. Choose before the ten-second timer runs out. The items swap sides at random, so the answer isn't always on the left.
- See the answer. The correct item lights up with a short note on the rough prices. In a group, you also see who got it right and who was too slow.
- Play eight pairs. Your score is out of eight. With friends, the top score wins, and a tie at the top is possible.
A trivia game for groups, duels or one player
| Mode | Players | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Solo | 1 | Eight pairs, a score out of eight, about two minutes. |
| Duel by link | 2 | Send the room link to one friend. You both answer each pair at the same time. |
| Group room | Up to 4 free, up to 12 with Unlimited | Everyone joins from their own phone or laptop. The reveal shows each player's result. |
| Same device | 2 to 12 | Pass one phone around. Each pick is hidden before the next person's turn. |
The room size depends on who opens it: four players in a free room, twelve if the host has an Unlimited plan. Guests only type a name. Starting the game costs the host one of their daily free rounds, and the guests aren't charged any.
Sample price questions and answers
All of these are in the game, with the explanations shown after each round. Prices are approximate US prices.
- A gallon of printer ink or a gallon of milk? Printer ink. It works out to thousands of dollars a gallon. Milk is a few bucks.
- Making one nickel or making one penny? The nickel. It costs the US Mint more than twice its face value to make. A penny cost only a few cents.
- A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame or a new base-model Ford F-150? The star. The fee is well above the sticker price of a base F-150.
- A pound of saffron or a pound of silver? Saffron. Good saffron costs thousands of dollars a pound.
- Boardwalk or Park Place in Monopoly? Boardwalk, at $400 to Park Place's $350.
- A pound of gold or a pound of white truffles? Gold. White truffles can top $3,000 a pound, but gold is worth tens of thousands.
- One ostrich egg or a dozen chicken eggs? The ostrich egg, which usually sells for $30 or more.
Each game draws its eight pairs at random from a larger set, so the second round won't be a repeat of the first.
Where the prices come from
The prices are approximate US prices, which is why the explanations say "about" and "around" instead of quoting an exact figure. The gap in every pair is big, so a price change here or there won't flip the answer.
Tips for guessing prices
- Think per unit. A latte doesn't seem expensive until you price it by the gallon. Several questions hinge on the unit.
- Rare beats famous. Saffron, vanilla beans and caviar are pricey because they're hard to produce. Being well known has little to do with it.
- Answer something. There are only two choices, and "too slow" earns nothing.
Why it works on a video call or in a group chat
Everyone thinks they have a decent sense of what things cost, and this game shows where that sense runs out. In a group, expect at least one confident wrong answer and a long defense of it. Since there's one rule and every question takes ten seconds, you can explain it to people who don't usually play games in a single sentence.
All players answer at once, so nobody waits for a turn. That makes it a good opener for a call, and it's one of the picks in our virtual game night ideas guide.
It suits friend groups, families and coworkers who want a short game on a call. Played solo, it's a two-minute break.
For more trivia, try Real Law or Fake Law or the speed round Cheese or Font. Everything quiz-style lives on our trivia games page, and if you're looking for more group games, see our multiplayer games for friends. The home page has all of our free online games.
Which Costs More FAQ
How many people can play Which Costs More?
One player or a group. A free online room fits 4, and a room opened by an Unlimited member fits 12. On one device, up to 12 people can take turns.
Where do the prices in Which Costs More come from?
They're approximate US prices. The difference in every pair is large, so the answer holds even when prices move a little.
How long do I have to answer each question?
Ten seconds. If you don't pick in time, you're marked too slow and get no point.
Do my friends need accounts to join?
No. They open your link and type a name. Joining a room never uses up a guest's own free rounds.
How many questions are in a game?
Eight pairs, picked at random from a larger set, so repeat games mix in new ones.
Can we play Which Costs More on Zoom or FaceTime?
Yes. Get everyone on the call, paste the room link in the chat, and each person plays in their own browser while you talk.