# Galactic Colonies vs Mars

The clearest difference is rating: Galactic Colonies at 4.5 against Mars's 4.1. Galactic Colonies also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (297 vs 26). Mars's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.6). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Galactic Colonies sells 11 one-off in-app purchases and Mars sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Galactic Colonies holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Galactic Colonies has 297 ratings behind it against 26, 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 66% of Mars's.

Galactic Colonies ships an update every 10 days, Mars every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Galactic Colonies | Mars |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (297 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/galactic-colonies/id1240422237/reviews)** | [4.1 (26 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mars-the-arrival/id1458927524/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **297** | 26 |
| Positive reviews | **69.8% of reviews** | 65.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 196 MB | 2.6 GB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [MetalPop, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/885568833) | [Stefan Nyul](https://appshunter.io/developer/1458927523) |

## 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


### Mars

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mars-the-arrival/id1458927524)

Engage in a scientific simulation of establishing a Mars colony. Manage a small group of settlers, research technologies, and build a thriving settlement from a single module. Compete with other human-controlled colonies for success on the Red Planet.

**Highlights:** Scientific Mars settlement simulation, Research and development of technologies, Exploration of the Red Planet, Building and managing specialized structures, Managing settler types and life cycles, 3D view of settlement and Mars surface, Offline playability

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Logistics contract | $0.99 | one-time |
| MAA Gold Membership | $1.99 | one-time |
| Sponsors contract | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Galactic Colonies free?

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

### Is Mars free?

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

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

Galactic Colonies is rated higher. Galactic Colonies averages 4.5 out of 5 from 297 ratings, while Mars averages 4.1 from 26 ratings.

### Do Galactic Colonies or Mars have ads?

Both Galactic Colonies and Mars show ads.

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

Galactic Colonies ships an update every 10 days, and Mars every 2 months. Most recently, Galactic Colonies was updated on September 18, 2026 and Mars on September 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.*