# Magic River vs Mars

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Mars at 91% against Magic River's 33%. Mars also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.2) and ratings volume (22K vs 196). Magic River's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (6.0 vs 12.0). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Magic River sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Mars sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Mars holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mars has 22K ratings behind it against 196, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 33% of Magic River's written reviews are positive against 91% of Mars's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Magic River | Mars |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.2 (196 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-river/id1003415673/reviews) | **[4.8 (22K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mars-mars/id1108964305/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 196 | **22K** |
| Positive reviews | 32.9% of reviews | **90.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 182 MB | 256 MB |
| Requires iOS | **6.0** | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Ketchapp](https://appshunter.io/developer/528065807) | [Pomelo Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/899606172) |

## What reviewers say

### Magic River

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-river/id1003415673)

Navigate a boat down a river, avoiding obstacles and exploring various locations. Collect gems to unlock new characters and boats. Simple tap controls change the boat's direction.

**Highlights:** River navigation, Obstacle avoidance, Location exploration, Gem collection, Character unlocks, Boat customization

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Beautiful graphics
- 🕹️ Addictive gameplay
- 💎 Fun and challenging

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🌀 Ads disrupt gameplay
- 🐛 Glitchy controls
- 🕰️ Repetitive scenery

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes frequently
- Boat movement not responsive
- Leaderboard not updating properly

**Requested features**

- Ability to skip difficult missions
- More varied environments and obstacles
- Option to disable ads for a fee


### Mars

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mars-mars/id1108964305)

Embark on a thrilling space adventure as a volunteer on a mission to Mars. Pilot a jetpack to explore the Martian surface, capture unique selfies, and navigate the challenges of interplanetary travel. Prove the doubters wrong and make history on this groundbreaking expedition.

**Highlights:** Explore Mars on a jetpack, Take selfies on Mars, Avoid Rapid Unscheduled Disassemblies, Discover Martian sights, Volunteer for a space mission

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Arnold | $0.99 | one-time |
| Little Martha | $0.99 | one-time |
| Marselot | $0.99 | one-time |
| Nigiri | $0.99 | one-time |
| Ufo | $0.99 | one-time |
| Discman | $0.99 | one-time |
| Kestrel 5 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Eagle | $0.99 | one-time |
| Stephen | $3.99 | one-time |
| El Dorado | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Simple and addictive gameplay
- 👍 Relaxing and calming experience
- 👍 Variety of unique characters with different themes
- 👍 Optional ads that provide rewards
- 👍 Offline playability

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔁 Repetitive and can get boring over time
- 🔁 Lack of difficulty progression
- 🔁 Duplicate character unlocks can be frustrating

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when taking selfies
- Streak resets when returning to a previous level
- Inconsistent controls and fuel usage

**Requested features**

- Add new planets and environments to explore
- Introduce different gameplay modes (e.g., time trials, challenges)
- Allow players to customize platforms and backgrounds
- Implement a way to revisit previous levels


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Magic River free?

Magic River is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Mars free?

Mars is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Magic River or Mars?

Mars is rated higher. Magic River averages 3.2 out of 5 from 196 ratings, while Mars averages 4.8 from 22K ratings.

### Do Magic River or Mars have ads?

Mars shows ads; Magic River does not.

### Which is updated more often, Magic River or Mars?

Magic River ships an update monthly, and Mars monthly. Most recently, Magic River was updated on October 4, 2026 and Mars on October 16, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*