Comparison

Space Grunts vs Star Traders

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Space Grunts

Engage in a unique blend of fast-paced arcade action and strategic turn-based combat. Explore a distressed moon base, battling aliens and robots to uncover its secrets. Utilize a variety of weapons and consumables to survive and complete your mission.

Highlights
  • Turn-based gameplay
  • Arcade action
  • Roguelike shooter elements
  • Alien and robot combat
  • Weapon and consumable collection
  • Secret areas and routes
Features
Read full description

Support, tip and tricks: http://www.orangepixel.net "This is a turn-based game for people who don't like turn-based games, and a roguelike shooter for people who hate roguelike shooters." - TouchArcade 4/5 Space Grunts combines fast paced arcade action with turn-based gameplay. The year 2476, Earth's space-federation has been building moon-bases across the galaxy. One of those moon-bases has been sending a distress signal. Space Grunts are a group of intergalactic "problem" solvers, sent to investigate.. You play one, out of a team, of Space Grunts, and your mission is simple: find your way into the moon-base, and figure out what has happened. You'll have to fight your way through aliens, robots, security drones and base-systems. Find the lower levels of the moon-base, and get to the core of the problems. Consumables A large collection of consumables can be found all over the moon base from weapon enhancers, to destructive toys, armor, explosives, system-hacks, and more. Use the items wisely to advance deeper into the moon-base. Weapons Starting with three standard Grunt weapons, you will be able to enhance them for more fire-power and range. On your way you'll also find alternate weapons, and melee weapons. Secrets There are various ways to complete the game, anomalies leading to weird places, underground routes, and mysterious items to transport you to other area's of the moon-base. On top of these there are secret rooms and area's located all over the base, so never a dull moment! Can you find the core of the problems? MFI support Got questions? need tips or help? visit our forums: http://orangepixel.net or connect and say hi: twitter.com/orangepixel facebook.com/orangepixel

About

Star Traders

Command your own starship and crew in a vast, procedurally generated open universe. Forge your path as a pirate, merchant, bounty hunter, or explorer, influencing factions and shaping your crew through your choices in this epic sci-fi RPG.

Highlights
  • Open universe exploration
  • Multiple captain careers (26 jobs)
  • Spaceship customization (350+ upgrades)
  • Crew assembly and talent management
  • Dynamic narrative and faction influence
  • Crew molding based on player choices
  • Varied difficulty options including permadeath
Features
Read full description

You are the captain of a starship venturing through a massive open universe. Customize your crew and take command at the helm of your very own ship as you explore a galaxy torn apart by internal strife, alien threats, and political intrigue. Command your ship and crew as a space pirate, merchant, bounty hunter, and more in Star Traders: Frontiers – an epic space RPG from Trese Brothers Games. Venture forth into a massive open universe, rich with adventure and the lore of the Star Traders. Choose your path by assembling and commanding your custom crew and spaceship in a constantly evolving galaxy torn by internal strife, political intrigue, and alien threats. Will you fly as a pirate terrorizing shipping lanes, join the solar wars as a military captain, or track targets across the stars as a fearsome bounty hunter? - Explore a rich, open universe: Discover endless procedurally-generated galactic maps, meet unique characters, and take on enemies to conquer the galaxy! - Become an intergalactic captain: Take on the role of a spy, smuggler, explorer, pirate, merchant, bounty hunter, and more (26 jobs total)! - Customize your own spaceship: Choose from more than 350 upgrades and 45 ship hulls to build your very own vessel to venture across the vast reaches of space. - Assemble and tailor a loyal crew: Assign talents and equip specialized gear for every spaceship crew member. - Experience an ever-changing narrative: Decide to make friends or foes with other factions and influence political, economic, and personal vendettas. - Mold the crew by your choices: As you make decisions and set the tone for your ship, your crew will grow and change to match. Destroy enemy ships with all hands on deck and your crew will become more bloodthirsty and savage. Explore distant worlds and loot dangerous wastelands and your crew will become intrepid and clever ... or scarred and half-mad. - Varied Difficulty Options! play with save slots to try out different builds or storylines or turn on character permadeath and enjoy classic roguelike experience - Achievement Unlocks: accomplish story and challenge goals to unlock additional optional (but not better) content like new starting ships and new starting contacts First there was the Exodus – when survivors of a great war left the ruins of the Galactic Core behind in search of a new home in the stars. Scattered worlds were claimed on the fringe of the galaxy. Each pocket of survivors held on to an isolated set of worlds while trying to rebuild under the great law of Shalun. Three centuries later, technology has brought them back together again. Discovery of the hyperwarp has bridged what was once an unimaginable distance between far-flung colonies, long-lost families, and political factions. With that reunification has come great economic prosperity. The hyperwarp reestablished the transportation of cargo, goods, and technologies between the quadrants – but it has also brought great strife. Political rivalries have been rekindled, blood has been shed in age-old feuds, and the fires of war have been stoked. Amidst the political infighting, a ruthless revolution is rising – and the fervent explorers of the hyperwarp have awoken something that was better left asleep. Our very first game, Star Traders RPG, took hundreds of thousands of gamers on an interstellar adventure. Star Traders’ success and overwhelmingly positive reception helped to launch Trese Brothers Games. It was the adventures of our community’s star-crossed captains that put us on a trajectory to share more of our worlds, ideas, and dreams. We set out to capture the loneliness, bravery, and camaraderie of people living together in a spaceship sailing across the stars. It is with great pride that after releasing four other games in the Star Traders universe, we’ve created a sequel to the original Star Traders RPG. Step onto the bridge of your starship, take to the stars, and create your own story in Star Traders: Frontiers.

Screenshots

Space Grunts4 screens
Star Traders4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Star Traders at 4.6 against Space Grunts's 4.2. Star Traders also leads on ratings volume (668 vs 15) and chart position (#45 vs #200). Space Grunts's advantage is price ($3.99 vs $6.99) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 12.1). On review sentiment, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Space Grunts costs $3.99 and Star Traders $6.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Star Traders holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Star Traders has 668 ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 76% of Space Grunts's written reviews are positive against 73% of Star Traders's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Space Grunts ships an update every 5 weeks, Star Traders every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Space Grunts versus Star Traders: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpace GruntsStar Traders
Price$3.99 — better$6.99
Rating4.2 (15 ratings)4.6 (668 ratings) — better
Positive reviews75.9% of reviews — better73.1% of reviews
Number of ratings15668 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#200#45 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS8.0 — better12.1
Further details — not scored
Size52 MB316 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperPascal BestebroerTrese Brothers

Customer experience

Space Grunts

All ratings15 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral6.7%
Negative13.3%
Written reviews58 reviews
Positive75.9%
Neutral12.1%
Negative12.1%

Star Traders

All ratings668 ratings
Positive88.8%
Neutral2.7%
Negative8.5%
Written reviews216 reviews
Positive73.1%
Neutral6.9%
Negative19.9%

Bugs and requests

Space Grunts

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Star Traders

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Crew combat screen UI issues causing accidental input
  • Reputation/faction system bugs leading to unexpected outcomes
  • Crashes and freezes when navigating certain screens
  • Inconsistent behavior with ship component upgrades

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to customize ship colors and appearances
  • Option to command/control multiple ships as a fleet
  • More end-game content and progression systems
  • Improved UI scaling and optimization for larger screens
  • Cloud save/sync functionality across devices

In-app purchases

None

Space Grunts

No in-app purchases

None

Star Traders

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Space Grunts free?
Space Grunts costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Star Traders free?
Star Traders costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Space Grunts or Star Traders?
Star Traders is rated higher. Space Grunts averages 4.2 out of 5 from 15 ratings, while Star Traders averages 4.6 from 668 ratings.
Do Space Grunts or Star Traders have ads?
Neither Space Grunts nor Star Traders shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Space Grunts or Star Traders?
Space Grunts ships an update every 5 weeks, and Star Traders every 3 weeks. Most recently, Space Grunts was updated on September 19, 2026 and Star Traders on September 24, 2026.
Which is more popular, Space Grunts or Star Traders?
Space Grunts currently peaks at #200 in the App Store charts, and Star Traders at #45. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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