# Mars Race vs Ellipse

The clearest difference is ads: Ellipse at none against Mars Race's shown. Ellipse also leads on ratings volume (2K vs 2) and update cadence (monthly vs every 6 months). Mars Race's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 79%) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Mars Race sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and Ellipse sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Ellipse holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ellipse has 2K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of Mars Race's written reviews are positive against 79% of Ellipse's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Mars Race ships an update every 6 months, Ellipse monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mars Race | Ellipse |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mars-race/id1296888245/reviews) | **[4.7 (2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ellipse-rocket-simulator/id6738509541/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **2K** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 78.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 249 MB | 245 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [aGame Company](https://appshunter.io/developer/765929434) | [Starwelds](https://appshunter.io/developer/1895565220) |

## What reviewers say

### Mars Race

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mars-race/id1296888245)

Build a Martian city by harvesting solar power and extracting water. Expand your territory by constructing drones to visit and compete with other players for resources, while defending your own colony.

**Highlights:** Martian city building, Resource harvesting (solar power, water), Drone construction for exploration and combat, Player versus player resource battles, Territory occupation on Mars

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Few | $3.99 | one-time |
| Pile | $9.99 | one-time |
| Bag | $18.99 | one-time |
| Box | $48.99 | one-time |
| Vault | $94.99 | one-time |


### Ellipse

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ellipse-rocket-simulator/id6738509541)

Design, build, and launch rockets with realistic orbital mechanics. Explore celestial bodies and experience dynamic physics for a true-to-life space simulation. Ideal for aspiring engineers and space enthusiasts.

**Highlights:** Rocket design and customization, Realistic orbital mechanics, Explore celestial bodies, Dynamic physics engine, Space exploration simulation

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Large Parts | $2.99 | one-time |
| Heavy Lift Program | $4.99 | one-time |
| Expansion | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Realistic simulation
- 👍 Fun and entertaining
- 👍 Good graphics
- 👍 No ads
- 👍 Inspires interest in spaceflight

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 No delete button
- 🐛 Physics issues
- 🐛 Unrealistic re-entry
- 🐛 Laggy performance
- 🐛 Difficult to control rockets

**Reported bugs**

- Connected parts don't work
- Staging issues (last stage goes first)
- Fairings don't attach
- Cannot delete after spawning samples
- Detached parts don't detach

**Requested features**

- Add more planets
- Add astronauts
- Add a delete button
- Add more parts (solar panel, battery, antenna, wing, landing leg, chassis, monopropellant tank, docking port)
- Add electricity consumption


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mars Race free?

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

### Is Ellipse free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Mars Race or Ellipse?

Ellipse is rated higher. Mars Race averages 4.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Ellipse averages 4.7 from 2K ratings.

### Do Mars Race or Ellipse have ads?

Mars Race shows ads; Ellipse does not.

### Which is updated more often, Mars Race or Ellipse?

Mars Race ships an update every 6 months, and Ellipse monthly. Most recently, Mars Race was updated on October 3, 2026 and Ellipse on October 20, 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.*