# Sublight Empire vs Red Wave TD

The clearest difference is rating: Sublight Empire at 5.0 against Red Wave TD's 4.3. Sublight Empire also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). Red Wave TD's advantage is ratings volume (6 vs 2). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Red Wave TD sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Sublight Empire asks for nothing beyond the download.

Sublight Empire holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 6 respectively.

Sublight Empire ships an update every 6 months, Red Wave TD every 22 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sublight Empire | Red Wave TD |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sublight-empire/id1303098306/reviews)** | [4.3 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/red-wave-td/id1357811115/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **6** |
| Positive reviews | — | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 months** | Every 22 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 3 MB | 46 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Enrico Unger](https://appshunter.io/developer/1303098305) | [Brandon Stecklein](https://appshunter.io/developer/498894252) |

## What reviewers say

### Sublight Empire

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sublight-empire/id1303098306)

Experience a unique 4X space strategy game where actions and events unfold over years due to the speed of light limitations. Explore, colonize, and conquer star systems to achieve galactic dominance.

**Highlights:** Relativistic speed of light mechanics, Real-time command propagation delays, Explore and colonize star systems, Defend and conquer colonies, Classic 4X gameplay, Galactic conquest objective

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Red Wave TD

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/red-wave-td/id1357811115)

Defend America from invading communist forces in this real-time strategy and tower defense game. Engage in a full story mode campaign or enjoy quick skirmishes on additional maps. Experience RTS gameplay on the go.

**Highlights:** Real-time strategy gameplay, Tower defense mechanics, Story mode campaign, Skirmish maps, On-the-go fun

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Red Wave Premium | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sublight Empire free?

Sublight Empire is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Red Wave TD free?

Red Wave TD is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Sublight Empire or Red Wave TD?

Sublight Empire is rated higher. Sublight Empire averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Red Wave TD averages 4.3 from 6 ratings.

### Do Sublight Empire or Red Wave TD have ads?

Red Wave TD shows ads; Sublight Empire does not.

### Which is updated more often, Sublight Empire or Red Wave TD?

Sublight Empire ships an update every 6 months, and Red Wave TD every 22 months. Most recently, Sublight Empire was updated on October 24, 2026 and Red Wave TD on October 21, 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.*