# Rust Bucket vs Star Shoot VS

The clearest difference is rating: Star Shoot VS at 4.9 against Rust Bucket's 4.0. Star Shoot VS also leads on review sentiment (82% vs 72%). Rust Bucket's advantage is ratings volume (177 vs 48) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Rust Bucket sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Star Shoot VS sells 25 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Star Shoot VS holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 177 and 48 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 72% of Rust Bucket's written reviews are positive against 82% of Star Shoot VS's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Rust Bucket | Star Shoot VS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (177 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rust-bucket/id1040158406/reviews) | **[4.9 (48 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/star-shoot-vs/id1470903929/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **177** | 48 |
| Positive reviews | 72.3% of reviews | **81.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 105 MB | 228 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nitrome](https://appshunter.io/developer/568079484) | [flow Incorporated.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1375894867) |

## What reviewers say

### Rust Bucket

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rust-bucket/id1040158406)

Embark on a turn-based dungeon crawl with simple swipe controls. Navigate treacherous environments, battle diverse monsters, and overcome deadly traps. This challenging game offers endless exploration and strategic combat, perfect for quick gaming sessions.

**Highlights:** Swipe to move and attack, Fast-paced gameplay, Puzzle traps, Diverse monster types, Endless dungeon exploration, Strategic combat, High score competition

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Buy 50 Coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| Buy 200 Coins | $1.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $3.99 | one-time |
| Buy Coins 3 | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun puzzle game
- 🚀 Addictive gameplay
- 💎 Excellent pixel art and visuals
- 🎨 Creative enemy designs
- 🎶 Great soundtrack

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and progress loss
- 🔁 Repetitive level design
- 🕹️ Slow character movement
- 💰 Expensive ad removal
- 🔍 Lack of level variety

**Reported bugs**

- Progress reset when exiting levels
- Level select screen locking completed levels
- Compatibility issues on older devices
- Clipboard copying behavior

**Requested features**

- More levels and content updates
- Ability to save progress
- Weapon/item upgrades and customization
- Multiplayer or co-op mode
- Level editor


### Star Shoot VS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/star-shoot-vs/id1470903929)

Engage in fast-paced, casual online PvP battles with unique alien characters and strategic skills. Enjoy short matches under 3 minutes with simple controls, playable globally or locally on a single device.

**Highlights:** Unique alien characters with skills, Strategic gameplay rules, Short battle times (<3 minutes), Simple controls, Online PvP battles, Local two-player mode

**In-app purchases (25)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| XP Boost (Special) | $0.99 | one-time |
| Alien Clown (Sale!) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Alien Gemini (Special) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Alien Clown (Special) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Alien Scorpio (Special) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Alien Phantom (Special) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Alien Crab (Special) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Alien Capybara (Special) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Alien Moon (Special) | $1.99 | one-time |
| XP Boost Turbo (Special) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Alien Moon | $2.99 | one-time |
| Alien Capybara | $2.99 | one-time |
| Alien Crab | $2.99 | one-time |
| Alien Clown | $2.99 | one-time |
| Alien Scorpio | $2.99 | one-time |
| Alien Phantom | $2.99 | one-time |
| Alien Chicken | $2.99 | one-time |
| Alien Capricorn | $2.99 | one-time |
| Alien Virgo | $2.99 | one-time |
| Alien Gemini | $2.99 | one-time |
| Canvas | $2.99 | one-time |
| XP Boost Turbo | $3.99 | one-time |
| Premium Pack (Special) | $5.99 | one-time |
| Premium Pack | $6.99 | one-time |
| 3 Canvases Set | $6.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Rust Bucket free?

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

### Is Star Shoot VS free?

Star Shoot VS is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Rust Bucket or Star Shoot VS?

Star Shoot VS is rated higher. Rust Bucket averages 4.0 out of 5 from 177 ratings, while Star Shoot VS averages 4.9 from 48 ratings.

### Do Rust Bucket or Star Shoot VS have ads?

Both Rust Bucket and Star Shoot VS show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Rust Bucket or Star Shoot VS?

Rust Bucket ships an update every 6 weeks, and Star Shoot VS every 6 weeks. Most recently, Rust Bucket was updated on October 13, 2026 and Star Shoot VS on October 19, 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.*