# Colonial Tycoon vs Planetary Idle

The clearest difference is rating: Planetary Idle at 4.8 against Colonial Tycoon's 2.8. Planetary Idle also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 5 months) and review sentiment (50% vs 25%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Colonial Tycoon sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Planetary Idle sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Planetary Idle holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Planetary Idle has 77 ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 25% of Colonial Tycoon's written reviews are positive against 50% of Planetary Idle's.

Colonial Tycoon ships an update every 5 months, Planetary Idle weekly. The most recent releases landed on July 4, 2026 and September 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Colonial Tycoon | Planetary Idle |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.8 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/colonial-tycoon/id1345508571/reviews) | **[4.8 (77 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planetary-idle/id6450142774/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 11 | **77** |
| Positive reviews | 25.0% of reviews | **50.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 27 MB | 112 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Brandon Stecklein](https://appshunter.io/developer/498894252) | [Roberto Frias Nerio](https://appshunter.io/developer/1692039143) |

## What reviewers say

### Colonial Tycoon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/colonial-tycoon/id1345508571)

Manage your own business empire on Mars in this idle simulation game. Start with limited funds and grow your wealth by making smart financial decisions and unlocking new technologies. Can you become the ultimate Martian tycoon?

**Highlights:** Idle money making, Business management simulation, Grow your business, Unlock new technologies, Money management tactics, Mars colonization theme

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 100 Ape Coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| Colonial Tycoon Premium | $2.99 | one-time |
| 500 Ape Coins | $4.99 | one-time |


### Planetary Idle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planetary-idle/id6450142774)

Explore planets with a retro sci-fi idle theme. Hire scientists for passive income, tap for boosts, and research expeditions for discoveries. Prestige to reset with permanent upgrades and unlock perks with rare QBits.

**Highlights:** Hire Scientists for passive income, Tap to boost active income, Research expeditions for discoveries, Prestige system with permanent upgrades, Earn QBits for powerful perks, Offline progress for 6 hours

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Booster Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Research Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Quantum Pack | $6.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Colonial Tycoon free?

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

### Is Planetary Idle free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Colonial Tycoon or Planetary Idle?

Planetary Idle is rated higher. Colonial Tycoon averages 2.8 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Planetary Idle averages 4.8 from 77 ratings.

### Do Colonial Tycoon or Planetary Idle have ads?

Both Colonial Tycoon and Planetary Idle show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Colonial Tycoon or Planetary Idle?

Colonial Tycoon ships an update every 5 months, and Planetary Idle weekly. Most recently, Colonial Tycoon was updated on July 4, 2026 and Planetary Idle on September 12, 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.*