# Galactic Colonies vs AEA

The clearest difference is rating: Galactic Colonies at 4.5 against AEA's 2.5. Galactic Colonies also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (297 vs 2). AEA's advantage is iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Galactic Colonies sells 11 one-off in-app purchases and AEA sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Galactic Colonies holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Galactic Colonies has 297 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of Galactic Colonies's written reviews are positive against 58% of AEA's.

Galactic Colonies ships an update every 10 days, AEA every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Galactic Colonies | AEA |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (297 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/galactic-colonies/id1240422237/reviews)** | [2.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aea-online-strategy/id1453329905/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **297** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **69.8% of reviews** | 58.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 196 MB | 45 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [MetalPop, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/885568833) | [Berke Yalcin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1435895146) |

## What reviewers say

### Galactic Colonies

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/galactic-colonies/id1240422237)

Explore a vast, procedurally generated galaxy and build thriving colonies on alien worlds. Manage resources, establish production lines, and research new technologies to expand your civilization. Discover diverse planets and ensure your colonists survive in challenging environments.

**Highlights:** Procedurally generated universe exploration, Alien planet colonization, Technology research, Complex production pipelines, Colony ship upgrades, Diverse planet types

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Pack Of Energy Cells | $1.99 | one-time |
| Star Racer | $1.99 | one-time |
| Welcome Bundle | $1.99 | one-time |
| Cold Steel | $2.99 | one-time |
| Medium Pack Of Energy Cells | $4.99 | one-time |
| Skyward | $4.99 | one-time |
| Weekend Deal | $4.99 | one-time |
| Doubled Planet Boost Time | $4.99 | one-time |
| Colonizer's Bundle | $7.99 | one-time |
| A Large Pack Of Energy Cells | $9.99 | one-time |
| Huge Pack Of Energy Cells | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Highly addictive and engaging
- 👍 Accessible for blind and visually impaired users
- 🎨 Great graphics and sound design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and glitches, especially with accessibility features
- 🔁 Repetitive and lacking variety in gameplay
- 💰 Unsustainable monetization model

**Reported bugs**

- Research projects getting stuck or going infinite
- Inability to connect buildings properly
- Inconsistent behavior of video rewards
- Crashes when trying to watch ads

**Requested features**

- Ability to relocate or remove buildings
- More varied mission objectives and planet types
- Improved navigation and map UI for accessibility
- Offline mode with background resource production


### AEA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aea-online-strategy/id1453329905)

Engage in a text-based online strategy game to build an empire, manage resources, and battle players globally. Coordinate with allies or taunt enemies through an in-depth chat system.

**Highlights:** Real-time strategy management, Turn-based PvP battles, Resource management, Global map exploration, In-depth chat system

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| AEA - Premium Membership | $7.99 | per month |
| 100 Emerald | $0.99 | one-time |
| 500 Emerald | $0.99 | one-time |
| 1000 Emerald | $0.99 | one-time |
| 5000 Emerald | $0.99 | one-time |
| AEA - Starter Package | $0.99 | one-time |
| AEA - Advanced Package | $0.99 | one-time |
| Premium Membership Package | $0.99 | one-time |
| 10000 Emerald | $1.99 | one-time |
| 50000 Emerald | $5.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Galactic Colonies free?

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

### Is AEA free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Galactic Colonies or AEA?

Galactic Colonies is rated higher. Galactic Colonies averages 4.5 out of 5 from 297 ratings, while AEA averages 2.5 from 2 ratings.

### Do Galactic Colonies or AEA have ads?

Both Galactic Colonies and AEA show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Galactic Colonies or AEA?

Galactic Colonies ships an update every 10 days, and AEA every 3 months. Most recently, Galactic Colonies was updated on October 11, 2026 and AEA on October 17, 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.*