# Galactic Colonies vs Occupy Mars

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Galactic Colonies at 70% against Occupy Mars's 13%. Occupy Mars's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.6). On price, update cadence, 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 Occupy Mars sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Galactic Colonies ships an update every 10 days, Occupy Mars every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Galactic Colonies | Occupy Mars |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (297 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/galactic-colonies/id1240422237/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **297** | — |
| Positive reviews | **69.8% of reviews** | 12.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 196 MB | 173 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [MetalPop, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/885568833) | [PLAYWAY SPOLKA AKCYJNA](https://appshunter.io/developer/505994116) |

## 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


### Occupy Mars

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/occupy-mars-colony-builder/id1518879606)

Build and manage a thriving colony on Mars. Ensure survival by managing resources like water, oxygen, and power, while expanding your base and discovering new technologies. Share your creations with friends in this universe-spanning simulation.

**Highlights:** Build and upgrade your base, Grow crops on Mars, Manage water, oxygen, power, and food, Create fuel generators and connect infrastructure, Discover new regions and resources, Unlock new technologies

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 50 Mars Coins Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| 200 Mars Coins Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| 500 Mars Coins Pack | $11.99 | one-time |
| Disable Ads | $16.99 | one-time |
| Special pack | $21.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Galactic Colonies free?

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

### Is Occupy Mars free?

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

### Do Galactic Colonies or Occupy Mars have ads?

Galactic Colonies shows ads; Occupy Mars does not.

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

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