Comparison

Mars vs Space Crew Dragon

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Mars

Engage in a scientific simulation of establishing a Mars colony. Manage a small group of settlers, research technologies, and build a thriving settlement from a single module. Compete with other human-controlled colonies for success on the Red Planet.

Highlights
  • Scientific Mars settlement simulation
  • Research and development of technologies
  • Exploration of the Red Planet
  • Building and managing specialized structures
  • Managing settler types and life cycles
  • 3D view of settlement and Mars surface
  • Offline playability
Features
Read full description

Settle on MARS in a mixture of game and scientific simulation. Take control over a tiny group of 10 settlers and choose a landing site on the barren Mars. Develop your venture from one single landing module into a thriving settlement with hundreds of specialized buildings and even more inhabitants. Research & development of new technologies as well as exploration of the Red Planet are key for establishing a permanent presence in this hostile environment. And you are not alone. Other settlements, each one controlled by a real human somewhere on Earth, are starting to grow everywhere and a competition for being the most successful Mars colony has already begun. Features: - Scientific orientated building & simulation of a Mars settlement - Background story in 6 phases with according phase goals - Mars simulation in 30x real time (even running when app is not active) - Choosing one of 7 Earth organizations providing (dis-)advantages - Research & development of 152 individual technologies - Construction, maintenance & repair of 51 individual building - 35 individual building enhancements (no level 1,2,3...) - Sending Mars exploration teams and analyzing found soil samples - Production & dispatching of 23 different resource/module types - Assignment of 5 settler types to all activities in the settlement - Settler life cycle including children and elders - 3D view of own settlement in authentic Mars topography - Panning & zooming of the Mars surface in high resolution 3D - 100% usable without Internet connection - Optional online: ranking list & other settlements on Mars surface - Unlocking of advanced app functionalities step by step - Tutorial explaining all app functionalities - Contains some Ads but only after 15 Minutes of game and very decent - Contains In-App-Purchases but NO PAY TO WIN! - This is a peaceful app! NO FIGHTING, NO KILLING, NO WAR!

About

Space Crew Dragon

Experience a realistic rocket launch and recovery simulation. Aim to dock with the International Space Station after successfully landing your booster. This game is inspired by the historic Crew Demo2 mission.

Highlights
  • Multi-stage rocket launch
  • First stage booster recovery
  • Sea platform landing
  • ISS docking simulation
  • Based on real historical mission
Features
Read full description

Launch a multi-stage rocket and follow a crew capsule mission from Earth to orbit and back. Play through the stages of the journey: • Rocket launch and booster landing • Earth orbit and docking with the International Space Station • Undocking and atmospheric reentry • Parachute descent Practice each stage as you work toward completing the mission. Explore the sequence of a spaceflight through a game inspired by crewed missions to the space station.

Screenshots

Mars4 screens
Space Crew Dragon4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Space Crew Dragon at none against Mars's 3. Space Crew Dragon also leads on ratings volume (174 vs 26). Mars's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 38 months) and review sentiment (66% vs 47%). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Mars sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Space Crew Dragon asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.1 for Mars against 4.1 for Space Crew Dragon. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Space Crew Dragon has 174 ratings behind it against 26, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 66% of Mars's written reviews are positive against 47% of Space Crew Dragon's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Mars ships an update every 2 months, Space Crew Dragon every 38 months. Both last shipped on October 22, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Mars versus Space Crew Dragon: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMarsSpace Crew Dragon
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (26 ratings) — better4.1 (174 ratings)
Positive reviews65.6% of reviews — better47.1% of reviews
Number of ratings26174 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 38 months
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size2.6 GB352 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStefan NyulRenzo Macedo

Customer experience

Mars

All ratings26 ratings
Positive69.2%
Neutral15.4%
Negative15.4%
Written reviews32 reviews
Positive65.6%
Neutral9.4%
Negative25.0%

Space Crew Dragon

All ratings174 ratings
Positive75.9%
Neutral4.6%
Negative19.5%
Written reviews17 reviews
Positive47.1%
Neutral5.9%
Negative47.1%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Mars

One-time3
  • Logistics contract$0.99
  • MAA Gold Membership$1.99
  • Sponsors contract$2.99
None

Space Crew Dragon

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Mars free?
Mars is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Space Crew Dragon free?
Space Crew Dragon is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Mars or Space Crew Dragon?
Mars is rated higher. Mars averages 4.1 out of 5 from 26 ratings, while Space Crew Dragon averages 4.1 from 174 ratings.
Do Mars or Space Crew Dragon have ads?
Both Mars and Space Crew Dragon show ads.
Which is updated more often, Mars or Space Crew Dragon?
Mars ships an update every 2 months, and Space Crew Dragon every 38 months. Most recently, Mars was updated on October 22, 2026 and Space Crew Dragon on October 22, 2026.

Other comparisons