# Defender 1 vs Space Defender

Defender 1 and Space Defender both sit at 5.0 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Space Defender's written reviews are positive against 32% of Defender 1's. Space Defender also leads on price (Free vs $2.99) and update cadence (every 15 months vs every 38 months). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Space Defender is free to download; Defender 1 costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Defender 1 against 5.0 for Space Defender. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Space Defender has 5 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 32% of Defender 1's written reviews are positive against 100% of Space Defender's.

Defender 1 ships an update every 38 months, Space Defender every 15 months. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Defender 1 | Space Defender |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/defender-1/id1038282445/reviews) | [5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/space-defender-ultimate/id1232145880/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **5** |
| Positive reviews | 31.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 38 months | **Every 15 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 45 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [APD Consulting, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/506064473) | [ilan TETRUASHVILI](https://appshunter.io/developer/940821251) |

## What reviewers say

### Defender 1

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/defender-1/id1038282445)

Relive a classic arcade experience by defending astronauts from alien abduction and destroying enemy ships. Be careful not to harm the astronauts, as their safety is crucial to preventing planetary destruction and mutant alien transformations.

**Highlights:** Defend astronauts from aliens, Obliterate enemy spaceships, Avoid friendly fire, Prevent planetary explosion, Mutant alien transformations

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Faithful recreation of original game
- 🤩 Nostalgic experience
- 💰 Good value for price
- ✨ Good graphics
- 🕹️ Joystick option available

**What reviewers complain about**

- 👎 Awful, unresponsive controls
- 🐌 Very slow gameplay
- 💥 Frequent crashes
- 🔇 No sound or intermittent sound
- 🕹️ Poorly spaced controls

**Reported bugs**

- No sound on iPad
- No sound on iPhone
- Intermittent sound
- App crashes often
- Enemies don't move

**Requested features**

- Update to fix sound issues
- Update to fix crashing
- Enable game controller support
- Improve control responsiveness
- Adjust control spacing


### Space Defender

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/space-defender-ultimate/id1232145880)

Engage in an addictive space combat experience with vibrant pixel art. Navigate through challenging waves and aim for the highest score to protect the galaxy. This game offers endless replayability and fun.

**Highlights:** Endless gameplay, Challenging and fun, Pixel art animations, 24 different waves, Hi-score competition

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Defender 1 free?

Defender 1 costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Space Defender free?

Space Defender is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Defender 1 or Space Defender?

Defender 1 and Space Defender are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 5 ratings respectively.

### Do Defender 1 or Space Defender have ads?

Neither Defender 1 nor Space Defender shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Defender 1 or Space Defender?

Defender 1 ships an update every 38 months, and Space Defender every 15 months. Most recently, Defender 1 was updated on September 20, 2026 and Space Defender on September 15, 2026.

---

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