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Hearts of Iron IV vs Stellaris
Live Steam player count comparison, updated every 10 minutes. Both are Simulation / Strategy games.
Hearts of Iron IV is currently the more played game: 39,700 concurrent players on Steam right now vs 10,099 for Stellaris, about 4× more players. Hearts of Iron IV has been ahead for 65 days straight. Hearts of Iron IV also has the better Steam reviews: 90% positive vs 86%. Across all tracked metrics, Hearts of Iron IV leads 9 of 10.
These are Steam players only. A game that also runs on its own launcher, a storefront of its own or on console has players this number cannot see, so read it as a comparison of Steam audiences rather than of total ones.
Which one have you played more?
Coilr members average 377h in Hearts of Iron IV and 111h in Stellaris. Connect your Steam account and this row fills in with your own hours instead — then keeps tracking both, so you can see which one you are actually still playing.
Hearts of Iron IV
377h
average of 58 members
Stellaris
111h
average of 48 members
See my hours in both
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Player count history
Hearts of Iron IVStellaris
Tracked by Coilr since April 2026 · Steam polled every 10 minutes · methodology
Head-to-head record
Hearts of Iron IV has had the higher daily player count for the last 65 days, every day since Coilr began tracking both games.
Hearts of Iron IV led 65 daysStellaris led 0 days
Days tracked
65
Current streak
65 days
Hearts of Iron IV
Lead changes
0
Closest gap
44%
Apr 14, 2026
How this works: each game's daily average concurrent players (from Coilr's 10-minute Steam polls), compared on the 65 days where both games have data. Whichever averages higher leads that day. methodology
| Metric | Hearts of Iron IV | Stellaris |
|---|---|---|
| Players right now | 39,700 | 10,099 |
| 24-hour peak | 46,328 | 11,713 |
| 7-day average | 35,298 | 9,978 |
| 30-day average | 35,657 | 10,459 |
| 30-day trend | −8% | −8% |
| Peak (tracked) | 71,856 | 19,071 |
| Steam reviews | 90% positive | 86% positive |
| Recent reviews (3 mo) | 89% positive | 78% positive |
| Total reviews | 376,417 | 197,149 |
| Owners (SteamSpy est.) | ~5,000,000 | ~2,000,000 |
| Release date | Jun 6, 2016 | May 9, 2016 |
| Price | $49.99 | $49.99 |
Full stats: Hearts of Iron IV · Stellaris · add more games to this comparison →
Players by month
| Month | Hearts of Iron IV | Stellaris | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg | Peak | Avg | Peak | |
| Apr 2026 | 23,165 | 31,767 | 11,298 | 11,505 |
| May 2026 | 33,728 | 60,597 | — | — |
| Jun 2026 | 38,494 | 71,856 | — | — |
| Jul 2026 | 39,195 | 62,871 | 12,271 | 19,071 |
| Aug 2026 | 37,960 | 58,911 | 10,830 | 16,459 |
| Sep 2026 (so far) | 33,752 | 62,783 | 10,191 | 15,853 |
Monthly average and peak concurrent players on Steam, from Coilr's own tracking (10-minute polls, hourly beyond 30 days).
Frequently asked
Which has more players, Hearts of Iron IV or Stellaris?
Hearts of Iron IV currently has more players: 39,700 concurrent players on Steam vs 10,099 for Stellaris, about 4× more players.
Is Hearts of Iron IV bigger than Stellaris on Steam?
Over the last 30 days Hearts of Iron IV averaged 35,657 concurrent players and Stellaris averaged 10,459. By that measure Hearts of Iron IV is currently the bigger game.
Has Stellaris ever had more players than Hearts of Iron IV?
Not in Coilr's head-to-head tracking: Hearts of Iron IV has had the higher daily average concurrent player count on Steam on every one of the 65 days both games have been tracked.
Is Hearts of Iron IV better than Stellaris?
By Steam review score, Hearts of Iron IV rates higher: 90% positive across 376,417 reviews vs 86% across 197,149 for Stellaris. Hearts of Iron IV has the larger player base right now (39,700 vs 10,099 concurrent). Player counts, ratings, price and trend are compared side by side above.
Is Hearts of Iron IV growing or declining on Steam?
Hearts of Iron IV averaged 35,657 concurrent players over the last 30 days, down 8% vs the previous 30 days. Its highest tracked player count is 71,856.
Is Stellaris growing or declining on Steam?
Stellaris averaged 10,459 concurrent players over the last 30 days, down 8% vs the previous 30 days. Its highest tracked player count is 19,071.