# Terraforming Mars vs Turing Machine Notepad

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Turing Machine Notepad at 100% against Terraforming Mars's 45%. Turing Machine Notepad also leads on price (Free vs $8.99) and rating (5.0 vs 4.5). Terraforming Mars's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 9 months) and ratings volume (7.5K vs 3). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Turing Machine Notepad holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Terraforming Mars has 7.5K ratings behind it against 3, 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 100% of Turing Machine Notepad's.

Terraforming Mars ships an update every 3 weeks, Turing Machine Notepad every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Terraforming Mars | Turing Machine Notepad |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $8.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.5 (7.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/terraforming-mars/id1353471030/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/turing-machine-notepad/id6755933821/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **7.5K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 45.2% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#32** | — |
| Size | 353 MB | 2 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) | [Nicolas Lehovetzki](https://appshunter.io/developer/412827944) |

## What reviewers say

### Terraforming Mars

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

**Currently charting:** #32 Top Paid · Board, #98 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


### Turing Machine Notepad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/turing-machine-notepad/id6755933821)

This digital notepad helps players of the Turing Machine board game track game state, manage deductions, and record test results. It offers an intuitive interface for managing multiple rounds and strategies, digitizing the gaming experience.

**Highlights:** Possibility elimination grid, Verification tracking table, Rich text editor with SF symbols, Auto-save functionality, Manage multiple rounds, Dynamic test row addition

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Terraforming Mars free?

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

### Is Turing Machine Notepad free?

Turing Machine Notepad is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Terraforming Mars or Turing Machine Notepad?

Turing Machine Notepad is rated higher. Terraforming Mars averages 4.5 out of 5 from 7.5K ratings, while Turing Machine Notepad averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Terraforming Mars or Turing Machine Notepad have ads?

Neither Terraforming Mars nor Turing Machine Notepad shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Terraforming Mars or Turing Machine Notepad?

Terraforming Mars ships an update every 3 weeks, and Turing Machine Notepad every 9 months. Most recently, Terraforming Mars was updated on October 13, 2026 and Turing Machine Notepad on October 5, 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.*