# Space Pods vs Nova Island

The clearest difference is ads: Nova Island at none against Space Pods's shown. Nova Island also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 30 months). Space Pods's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 16.0). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Space Pods sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Nova Island sells 66 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Space Pods ships an update every 30 months, Nova Island every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Space Pods | Nova Island |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.3 (237 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nova-island/id1526357111/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **237** |
| Positive reviews | — | 60.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 30 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 35 MB | 262 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Raffaele Amuso](https://appshunter.io/developer/912157295) | [Thirteen Games, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1526357113) |

## What reviewers say

### Space Pods

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/space-pods/id1010404200)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full version | $2.99 | one-time |


### Nova Island

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nova-island/id1526357111)

Engage in strategic card battles with cute anime-inspired characters. Collect friends, powers, and skins while competing in PvP matches or embarking on an adventure. Build decks and master unique playstyles.

**Highlights:** Collectible card battles, Strategic deck building, PvP and PvE modes, Character collection, Cosmetic customization, Daily challenges, Draft mode

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (66)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 90 Island Credits | $0.99 | one-time |
| Researcher’s Starter Bundle | $0.99 | one-time |
| Circuit Boiz Bundle 2 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Circuit Boiz Bundle 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| 4th Anniversary Emotes Bundle1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Halloween Juice Emote | $0.99 | one-time |
| Max Halloween Emote | $0.99 | one-time |
| Artillery Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Doodle Branehart Emote | $0.99 | one-time |
| 75 Island Credits | $1.99 | one-time |
| Welcome Bundle | $1.99 | one-time |
| Power Outage Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Researcher's Starter Bundle | $1.99 | one-time |
| Circuit Boiz Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Rerun Activate | $1.99 | one-time |
| Sprynk Activate | $1.99 | one-time |
| Hackmaster Activate | $1.99 | one-time |
| Escape Pod Activate | $1.99 | one-time |
| Novas Special BF | $1.99 | one-time |
| Food Emote Bundle | $1.99 | one-time |
| Cosmicosi Legendary Skin | $1.99 | one-time |
| Cannonball Level Up | $1.99 | one-time |
| Welcome Party Bundle | $2.99 | one-time |
| Mage Rerun | $2.99 | one-time |
| Oddball Filthy Clean Skin | $2.99 | one-time |
| Giving Tree Unlock | $2.99 | one-time |
| Giving Tree Level Up | $2.99 | one-time |
| New Season Novium Special | $2.99 | one-time |
| Greenhouse Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Daily Login Bonus | $3.99 | one-time |
| Rainbow Gemma Skin | $3.99 | one-time |
| Gemma Activate | $3.99 | one-time |
| EOY Winter Skins 2024 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Sparki | $3.99 | one-time |
| Nova Tree Giving Tree | $3.99 | one-time |
| Cosmicosi Activate | $3.99 | one-time |
| Crystal Kitten | $3.99 | one-time |
| Arcade Pack | $3.99 | one-time |
| Ghost Blazer | $3.99 | one-time |
| Candy Weade | $3.99 | one-time |
| Frankenjazzy | $3.99 | one-time |
| 575 Island Credits | $4.99 | one-time |
| ULTIMATE Welcome Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Welcome Party Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Bloom King BC Special | $4.99 | one-time |
| 80s Sparki | $4.99 | one-time |
| Observatory Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| 225 Island Credits | $4.99 | one-time |
| Intranet Pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| Activation Starter Bundle | $5.99 | one-time |
| One Cent and IP | $6.99 | one-time |
| Khrys and Flutter | $6.99 | one-time |
| Crystal Cats | $8.99 | one-time |
| 1175 Island Credits | $9.99 | one-time |
| Nova Tree Bundle | $9.99 | one-time |
| Welcome Bundle 5 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Boost Pack C | $9.99 | one-time |
| Hooligan Bundle | $9.99 | one-time |
| Boost Pack B | $9.99 | one-time |
| 480 Island Credits | $9.99 | one-time |
| Ancient 9 Skins | $14.99 | one-time |
| EOY Credits Special 2024 | $14.99 | one-time |
| 2400 Island Credits | $19.99 | one-time |
| Super Boost Pack C | $19.99 | one-time |
| 1020 Island Credits | $19.99 | one-time |
| 2155 Island Credits | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Unique gameplay mechanics
- 🎨 Appealing art style and animations
- 💰 Completely free-to-play, no pay-to-win
- 🕹️ Engaging strategic depth
- 🌟 Underrated and deserves more attention

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🎲 Excessive reliance on RNG
- 🔁 Repetitive and swingy gameplay
- 🕰️ Slow progression and grindy unlock system
- ⚖️ Unbalanced card/character power levels
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and connectivity issues

**Reported bugs**

- Soft-locking tutorial
- Inconsistent performance on some devices

**Requested features**

- Offline mode or paid full version
- Ability to play with friends
- More character/card customization options
- Improved tutorial and onboarding experience


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Space Pods free?

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

### Is Nova Island free?

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

### Do Space Pods or Nova Island have ads?

Space Pods shows ads; Nova Island does not.

### Which is updated more often, Space Pods or Nova Island?

Space Pods ships an update every 30 months, and Nova Island every 3 weeks. Most recently, Space Pods was updated on October 26, 2026 and Nova Island on October 22, 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.*