# Terraforming Mars vs Terraforming Assistant

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Terraforming Assistant at 94% against Terraforming Mars's 45%. Terraforming Assistant also leads on price (Free vs $8.99) and in-app purchases (none vs 6). Terraforming Mars's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 months) and ratings volume (7.6K vs 28). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Terraforming Assistant is free to download; Terraforming Mars costs $8.99 up front. Terraforming Mars sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Terraforming Assistant asks for nothing beyond the download.

Terraforming Assistant holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Terraforming Mars has 7.6K ratings behind it against 28, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 45% of Terraforming Mars's written reviews are positive against 94% of Terraforming Assistant's.

Terraforming Mars ships an update every 3 weeks, Terraforming Assistant every 6 months. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Terraforming Mars | Terraforming Assistant |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $8.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.5 (7.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/terraforming-mars/id1353471030/reviews) | **[4.9 (28 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/terraforming-assistant/id1419254320/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **7.6K** | 28 |
| Positive reviews | 45.0% of reviews | **94.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#42** | — |
| Size | 353 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Twin Sails Interactive](https://appshunter.io/developer/1135862620) | [Alan You](https://appshunter.io/developer/1419254319) |

## What reviewers say

### Terraforming Mars

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/terraforming-mars/id1353471030)

**Currently charting:** #42 Top Paid · Board, #117 Top Paid · Strategy (US App Store)

Lead a corporation to terraform Mars by building cities, forests, and oceans. Manage resources, complete objectives, and increase your Terraform Rating to make the planet habitable. Compete against rivals and lead humanity into a new era.

**Highlights:** Official board game adaptation, Play against AI or up to 5 players, Online and offline multiplayer, Corporate Era variant, Solo challenge mode, Expansions available for new content

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Original Promo Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Terraforming Mars - Prelude | $3.99 | one-time |
| Hellas & Elysium | $3.99 | one-time |
| Venus Next | $3.99 | one-time |
| Colonies | $3.99 | one-time |
| Big Box Promo Pack | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Faithful adaptation of board game
- 👍 Great UI and animations
- 🕹️ Smooth solo gameplay
- 💰 Good value for money

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🕹️ Unreliable multiplayer experience
- 🕰️ Long load times to resume games
- 🤯 Confusing multiplayer features
- 🤖 Weak AI opponents

**Reported bugs**

- Science tags not counted properly
- Power infrastructure card not functioning
- Inability to place tiles in some cases
- Saved games not loading properly

**Requested features**

- Undo button for actions
- Ability to see final game metrics
- Notifications for turn updates
- Ability to track win/loss records
- More expansion content


### Terraforming Assistant

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/terraforming-assistant/id1419254320)

This app acts as a digital player mat for the board game Terraforming Mars. It automates game setup, tracks resources and tag counts, and allows you to review and restore game states.

**Highlights:** Automatic generation advancement adjustments, Automatic resource setup by corporation, View transaction history, Restore game state, Track tag counts

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Terraforming Mars free?

Terraforming Mars costs $8.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Terraforming Assistant free?

Terraforming Assistant is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Terraforming Mars or Terraforming Assistant?

Terraforming Assistant is rated higher. Terraforming Mars averages 4.5 out of 5 from 7.6K ratings, while Terraforming Assistant averages 4.9 from 28 ratings.

### Do Terraforming Mars or Terraforming Assistant have ads?

Neither Terraforming Mars nor Terraforming Assistant shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Terraforming Mars or Terraforming Assistant?

Terraforming Mars ships an update every 3 weeks, and Terraforming Assistant every 6 months. Most recently, Terraforming Mars was updated on October 29, 2026 and Terraforming Assistant on October 29, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*