Euro Truck Simulator 2 launched in 2012 and has been getting expanded with new countries ever since. The Greece, West Balkans, and Nordic Horizons DLC kept the map growing, but a lot of long-time drivers have hit the point where the next country drop feels like more of the same. We spent weeks testing the driving sims that pull the same audience and put together this list of seven Euro Truck Simulator 2 alternatives that hold up on PC in 2026.
This guide covers driving sims where the journey is the point. Some are SCS Software’s own sister titles, others come from competing studios with different vehicles and different settings. All of them have active modding scenes, which is what kept ETS2 going for over a decade.
Quick comparison
| Game | Best for | Cost | Where to buy | Standout feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Truck Simulator | Direct ETS2 sibling | $19.99 | Steam | All US states and growing |
| SnowRunner | Offroad recovery | $39.99 | Steam / Epic | Realistic terrain deformation |
| Farming Simulator 25 | Agricultural sim | $49.99 | Steam / Epic | Hundreds of licensed machines |
| Bus Simulator 21 | Passenger routes | $34.99 | Steam | Career mode with hiring |
| Train Sim World 5 | Rail simulation | $44.99 | Steam / Epic | Licensed rolling stock |
| Spintires: MudRunner | Pure offroad | $24.99 | Steam | Original physics that started the genre |
| City Car Driving | Driving practice | $24.99 | Steam | First-person driving school |
Why people leave Euro Truck Simulator 2
The complaints repeat across r/trucksim, the SCS forums, and the Steam discussions:
The European map is starting to feel familiar
After fifteen years of expansion, regular players have driven every motorway and every B-road in the base game. The new countries are well-made but they all use the same vehicle pool and the same trailer types. The novelty of expansion DLCs has thinned.
Traffic AI feels static next to modern sims
The vanilla AI drivers stay in lane, brake predictably, and don’t react to player behavior. Modders have built better AI behaviors but the base experience hasn’t kept pace with what modern driving sims deliver.
The truck roster grows slowly
New licensed trucks arrive once every year or two and have to be unlocked through the dealer system. Compared to Farming Simulator’s annual roster expansion or City Car Driving’s variety, ETS2 feels tight.
Dynamic weather is still mod territory
Vanilla ETS2 has weather but the system is light. Frosty mod, Realistic Weather, and similar additions are nearly essential for veterans who want the European weather to feel European.
The alternatives
American Truck Simulator — Best direct ETS2 sibling
American Truck Simulator is the most natural step away from ETS2 because it comes from the same studio. The engine is shared, the truck stop UI is identical, and the controls and routing feel exactly like ETS2 with American iconography. The map expansion has reached most of the western and central US, with Texas, Montana, and the recent Iowa DLCs filling in the gaps.
What ATS does differently is the scale. American trucks are longer, the trailers are heavier, and the open distances on western US highways give the game a different pace than ETS2’s tight European routes. The Peterbilt and Kenworth catalog is the main draw for North American players.
Where it falls short: No real eastern US yet, the map is built out west and slowly creeping east. The economy and progression mechanics are nearly identical to ETS2, which is great if you want comfort and less good if you wanted something genuinely new.
Pricing:
- $19.99 base game (sales to $8)
- State DLCs: $11.99 each
- vs ETS2: Identical pricing model. Truckers who own ETS2 can use the Convoy mode to play with friends who own ATS.
Switching from ETS2: No save transfer. Controls and UI are familiar within thirty minutes. American truck handling is heavier, which takes a few hours.
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Pick ATS if you want a fresh map with the same systems you already know. Skip if you specifically want non-SCS gameplay.
SnowRunner — Best offroad recovery
SnowRunner is the spiritual successor to Spintires and the most distinct game on this list. You’re not delivering cargo on highways, you’re hauling oil rigs through mud, fording rivers, and winching wrecks out of ditches in Alaska, Russia, and Kola. The terrain deformation is the centerpiece. Your truck leaves tracks that change the map for the rest of the session.
The vehicle roster is rich, with Tatra and Western Star trucks rubbing shoulders with custom American pickups. Vehicle customization is deeper than ETS2’s, focused on actual functional upgrades rather than cosmetic paint jobs. Co-op for four players runs cleanly, which gives you a way to recover stuck friends.
Where it falls short: No story or career arc to speak of, just a region-by-region contract list. The DLC release cadence has been steady but each season is $20+. The motion sickness factor on rough terrain is real.
Pricing:
- $39.99 base game (sales to $15)
- Year passes: $24.99 each
- vs ETS2: Pricier as a full package but the offroad gameplay is a different category altogether.
Switching from ETS2: Speed is gone. Average trip time per contract is 30 to 60 minutes of careful driving. The mindset shift is the biggest adjustment.
Download: Steam · Epic Games Store
Bottom line: Pick SnowRunner if you want offroad cargo hauling at a glacial pace and don’t mind paying for content. Skip if you wanted long highway drives.
Farming Simulator 25 — Best agricultural sim
Farming Simulator 25 is the largest non-trucking sim on PC. You run a farm: plant, harvest, raise livestock, sell crops, and slowly build out a small empire. The 2025 release added new maps in the US Midwest, Vietnam (rice paddies), and Eastern Europe, plus licensed equipment from John Deere, Case IH, Claas, and Fendt.
For ETS2 players, the connection is the vehicle catalog. Tractors and combines have the same loving detail SCS gives trucks. Driving a Fendt 942 Vario across a wheat field has the same meditative quality as driving a Scania R-series across the Alps.
Where it falls short: The farming sim genre has a learning curve. The first hour involves figuring out which field is yours and which crops fit the current season. Some equipment requires DLC, and the DLC strategy is aggressive even by simulation standards.
Pricing:
- $49.99 base game (sales to $30)
- Year 1 Season Pass: $39.99
- vs ETS2: Pricier upfront. Total cost with all DLCs is significant.
Switching from ETS2: Steering carries over. The cargo-and-route loop is replaced by a longer plant-grow-harvest cycle. Patience matters more.
Download: Steam · Epic Games Store
Bottom line: Pick FS25 if you want to drive licensed heavy machinery with a build-up loop. Skip if you specifically wanted the cargo-delivery format.
Bus Simulator 21 — Best passenger routes
Bus Simulator 21 (with the Next Stop expansion in 2024) replaces ETS2’s freight loop with passenger routes. You drive a city bus on scheduled stops, manage timetables, hire and pay drivers, and slowly expand your fleet from one bus to a small company. The career mode adds management overhead that ETS2’s freelance trucker fantasy doesn’t.
The maps are Sonora (fictional US) and Angel Shores (fictional California), with the Next Stop add-on bringing more European-style cities. The licensed buses include MAN, Mercedes-Benz, and Setra, which the German bus fan community appreciates.
Where it falls short: The career management is shallow if you’ve played serious tycoon games. Bus handling is heavier than truck handling and the routes can feel repetitive once you know a city. Performance was rough at launch and has improved but still sits below SCS’s optimization standard.
Pricing:
- $34.99 base game (sales to $15)
- DLC bundles: $20 to $40
- vs ETS2: Comparable.
Switching from ETS2: Bus handling and passenger care are the new mechanics. The career management is a wholly new layer ETS2 never had.
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Pick Bus Simulator 21 if you want passenger routes and a light management layer. Skip if you came to ETS2 for freelance freelance solo driving with no overhead.
Train Sim World 5 — Best rail simulation
Train Sim World 5 is the dominant rail sim on PC. The game has licensed routes across the US, UK, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, with real locomotives modeled to operating-handbook accuracy. If you came to ETS2 for the meditative quality of driving across landscapes at long intervals, Train Sim World hits that note in a different register.
The driving is more procedural than ETS2. Each locomotive has a real startup procedure, real signaling to follow, and real station stops to hit on schedule. The simulation depth is the draw and the barrier in equal measure.
Where it falls short: The DLC pricing is the worst on this list. Individual routes can cost $25 to $40 each, and there are a lot of them. Multiplayer is limited compared to ETS2’s Convoy mode. Performance on busy routes can be uneven.
Pricing:
- $44.99 base game (sales to $20)
- Route DLCs: $25 to $40 each
- vs ETS2: Considerably more expensive long-term.
Switching from ETS2: Signaling and locomotive procedures are the new skill curves. The route variety in landscapes makes up for the steeper learning curve.
Download: Steam · Epic Games Store
Bottom line: Pick Train Sim World 5 if you want simulation depth and don’t mind buying routes individually. Skip if budget matters.
Spintires: MudRunner — Best pure offroad
Spintires: MudRunner is the predecessor to SnowRunner and a cheaper way to experience the same offroad genre. The maps are smaller, the vehicle roster narrower, and the polish is rougher. What it has over SnowRunner is the original Spintires terrain physics, which some long-time fans still prefer for its unforgiving nature.
If you want to dip a toe into the mud-and-recovery sub-genre without committing to SnowRunner’s price tag, MudRunner is the cheaper alternative. The American Wilds DLC adds American maps and trucks.
Where it falls short: No structured progression, just a sandbox with maps and trucks. UI is dated. Multiplayer setup is fiddlier than SnowRunner’s. Updates effectively stopped after 2020.
Pricing:
- $24.99 base game (sales to $5)
- American Wilds DLC: $14.99
- vs ETS2: Cheaper. Smaller scope.
Switching from ETS2: Same offroad-versus-cargo trade as SnowRunner. The atmosphere is denser and lonelier.
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Pick MudRunner if you want the original offroad sim at a low price. Skip if SnowRunner’s polish and multiplayer matter.
City Car Driving — Best driving practice
City Car Driving is not a typical truck or cargo sim. It’s a first-person driving practice simulator built for learning car control. The game has European and American cities, multiple driving school modes, and a focus on real-world traffic rules. It’s the closest analog to a personal car version of ETS2’s mood, just compressed into urban routes.
The car physics are decent without being a hardcore racing sim. Traffic AI is more aggressive than ETS2’s, which gives the game a real driving-in-the-city feel. The modding scene is sizable and adds vehicles, maps, and driving school missions.
Where it falls short: Single-player only. The progression is structured around lessons and skills, not freight contracts. Vehicle roster is limited compared to dedicated racing sims. UI is dated.
Pricing:
- $24.99 base game (sales to $10)
- vs ETS2: Comparable.
Switching from ETS2: Cars are lighter, faster, and more nimble than trucks. The transition is comfortable; the routes are shorter and more incident-prone.
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Pick City Car Driving if you want first-person cars in real-world cities. Skip if cargo hauling is central to your enjoyment.
How to choose
The right Euro Truck Simulator 2 alternative depends on what you actually liked about ETS2.
You liked the route-by-route delivery loop: American Truck Simulator. Same studio, same mechanics, fresh map.
You liked the slow meditative driving: Train Sim World 5 or SnowRunner. Trains for procedural depth, SnowRunner for terrain challenge.
You liked the licensed vehicle catalog: Farming Simulator 25 has the deepest licensed roster outside of trucking. Train Sim World 5 has the rail roster.
You liked the management and career layer: Bus Simulator 21. The hiring and timetabling add a tycoon layer ETS2 never had.
You wanted something cheaper and lighter: MudRunner or City Car Driving. Both are budget picks that scratch related itches.
Stay on ETS2 if: You’ve invested in the World of Trucks economy, you run a virtual trucking company with friends, or you have a mod load you can’t replicate elsewhere. ETS2’s mod ecosystem is the strongest in the driving sim space.
FAQ
What is the best alternative to ETS2 on PC?
American Truck Simulator is the most direct replacement because it shares the engine, UI, and mechanics. For something genuinely different, SnowRunner is the strongest pick.
Is there a free Euro Truck Simulator 2 alternative?
No major driving sim on PC is free. ETS2 itself goes on sale to single-digit prices, which is often the cheapest way to get into the genre.
Which truck sim has the best graphics?
SnowRunner has the most detailed terrain rendering of any vehicle sim on PC. Farming Simulator 25 has the best landscape variety. ETS2 with the Frosty mod still competes visually.
Can I play these with my ETS2 wheel and pedals?
Yes. All seven alternatives support major wheel manufacturers including Logitech, Thrustmaster, and Fanatec. Force feedback support is best in SnowRunner and the SCS titles.
Does American Truck Simulator have the same map as ETS2?
No. ATS covers the western and central US states, ETS2 covers Europe. The Convoy mode allows ETS2 and ATS players to play together, but the maps are separate.
Why is Farming Simulator considered an ETS2 alternative?
The driving feel and licensed vehicle culture are the bridge. Tractors and combines handle differently than trucks but the meditative driving across detailed environments is the shared appeal.
