Retro Commander vs Sol Frontiers
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Retro Commander
Engage in post-apocalyptic real-time strategy battles. Command diverse units and technologies in a rich story campaign or test your skills against AI and players in cross-platform multiplayer. Features include a map editor and extensive modding capabilities.
- Post-apocalyptic RTS gameplay
- Story campaign with unique factions
- Single-player skirmish matches vs AI
- Cross-platform multiplayer
- Map editor and modding support
- Diverse units and research options
- Multiple game modes (capture the flag, battle royale)
Read full descriptionHide full description
Retro Commander is a post-apocalyptic real-time strategy wargame (RTS). Take command and fight it out in a world where a cataclysmic timeline has transpired on Mother Earth. Wage wars solo, against the AI, or take on your gaming comrades and friends in cross-platform multiplayer matches. Form teams and clans and fight co-op style with the AI and other players for ultimate victory. As opposed to other real-time strategy game, Retro Commander tries to focus on both, a fun single player and a thrilling multiplayer experience. The game strives to be easy to learn with a modern user interface. Single player comes with skirmish matches against the AI as well as a comic-based story campaign. Multiplayer can be played cross-platform and includes a ranking and rating system. POST-APOCALYPTIC: Real-time strategy (RTS) played in a post-apocalyptic timeline on Mother Earth. The environment includes day-night cycles, rain, snow, wind and solar flare activity. STORY CAMPAIGN: Deep campaign and story line of humanity after a cataclysmic event. Factions come with their own specialized technologies such as stealth, robots, drones or shields. SINGLE & MULTIPLAYER: A challenging AI for both single and multiplayer matches with co-op play. Cross-platform multiplayer including LAN/internet. ONLINE play comes with an award and rating system. PLAY MODES: In addition to regular skirmish matches, the game supports missions such as elimination, survival, capture the flag, defense and battle royale. Available in both single and multiplayer also are escort and rescue missions. STRUCTURES & TROOPS: Common troops for land, sea and air warfare is available to all factions. Specialized elements such as stealth, shields, EMP weapons, nukes, portals, orbital weapons, assimilator and other troops and structures provide for additional variety. RESEARCH: A tech tree and research options enable to build specialized structures and troops. A Tech Snatcher can be used to steal enemy technology. MODDING: A map editor is included allowing for player-modded maps including player-modded campaigns. All elements including troops, structures, as well as graphics and sound effects, can be modded if desired.
Sol Frontiers
Embark on a sci-fi odyssey to reclaim humanity's lost home. Captain a mothership, awaken your crew, gather resources, and battle cosmic threats in an idle strategy adventure.
- Explore uncharted cosmos
- Battle the Swarm and Deeper Darkness
- Upgrade mothership and starfighters
- Awaken and train diverse crew
- Gather resources for repairs
- Idle gameplay mechanics
Read full descriptionHide full description
Millennia after our sun inexplicably began dying, the ember of humanity's hope burns anew. As the cosmos stretches out, vast and uncharted, the call of a homecoming beckons. Entrusted with the dream of reclaiming our long-lost cradle, the flagship THE CROWN OF DAHLIA set forth. But silence has shrouded its heralded journey, and now, it's gone missing. In SOL FRONTIERS you captain the JONAH'S WHALE, dispatched on a perilous mission to uncover the fate of the lost Dahlia and to piece together the fragments of a cosmic puzzle. Awaken your crew and expand your mothership. Navigate through haunting space graveyards, confront the sinister SWARM, and face the lurking DEEPER DARKNESS that threatens more than just humanity's return. Gather resources to repair your mothership With a diverse array of resources such as metal, crystals, and credits, ensure you grow your headquarters and, in turn, your reach by equipping and upgrading your crew's starfighters. Prevail over the Swarm Select from a multitude of available crew and awaken up to 18 to your roster. Explore and secure various areas of the cosmos by defeating enemy bosses. Hone your crew's skills in preparation for random enemy encounters as well as the ultimate challenge. Will you pierce the enigma and reclaim Earth? Or will the vastness of space swallow our last hopes? Allow the diverse idle gameplay to transport you into outer space and embark on a saga of discovery, destiny, and the unyielding spirit of humankind in this gripping sci-fi odyssey.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Sol Frontiers at 4.2 against Retro Commander's 3.7. Sol Frontiers also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (122 vs 16). Retro Commander's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Retro Commander sells 14 one-off in-app purchases and Sol Frontiers sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Sol Frontiers holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sol Frontiers has 122 ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 80% of Retro Commander's written reviews are positive against 59% of Sol Frontiers's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Retro Commander ships an update every 2 months, Sol Frontiers fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Retro Commander | Sol Frontiers |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.7 (16 ratings) | 4.2 (122 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 80.0% of reviews — better | 58.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 16 | 122 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 151 MB | 192 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Noble Master LLC | Early Morning Studio AB |
Customer experience
Retro Commander
Sol Frontiers
Bugs and requests
Retro Commander
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Sol Frontiers
Reported bugs
16 issues- Save progress not working
- Game no longer works on iPhone 12
- Awaken 2 heroes bug
- Crew is locked
- Cannot save progress due to no login
Show 11 moreShow fewer
- First quest bug (crew locked)
- Buggy combat (0 damage rolls)
- Promo code issues
- Unable to open crew window
- Game bugged after update, progress lost
- Ad on galaxy screen stretches picture
- Login issues after a day of playing
- Game crashes
- Text too small to read
- Zooming in combat limited
- Optimization issues (stuttering graphics)
Requested features
15 requests- Add skip ad feature
- Add overview map
- Option to buy with less/no ads
- Add building base options
- Add ship customization
Show 10 moreShow fewer
- Add battle formations
- Add unique weapons
- Add more endgame content
- Add more missions
- Add permanent IAP (e.g., remove ads)
- Add cloud save functionality
- Add Steam version
- Add more gold from ads
- Add more story/backstory
- Add voice actors for missions
In-app purchases
Retro Commander
- Map: Chapter 02$0.99
- Map: Battle Map 02$0.99
- Map: Battle Map 05$0.99
Show 11 moreShow fewer
- Clan Manager$1.99
- Map: Chapter 03$3.99
- Map: Chapter 08$3.99
- Map: Battle Map A1$3.99
- Map: Chapter 04$3.99
- Map: Chapter 06$3.99
- Map: Chapter 07$3.99
- Map: Battle Map 03$3.99
- Map: Battle Map 04$3.99
- Modded Maps$4.99
- All Maps & Modding$19.99
Sol Frontiers
- Packet of Credits$0.99
- Canister of Dark Matter$2.99
- Starter Pack$2.99
Show 8 moreShow fewer
- Starter Bundle$4.99
- Canister of Credits$6.99
- Starter Package$7.99
- Array of Credits$9.99
- Array of Dark Matter$14.99
- Stockpile of Credits$29.99
- Vault of Credits$59.99
- Vault of Dark Matter$59.99
Questions
Is Retro Commander free?
Is Sol Frontiers free?
Which has better reviews, Retro Commander or Sol Frontiers?
Do Retro Commander or Sol Frontiers have ads?
Which is updated more often, Retro Commander or Sol Frontiers?
Other comparisons















