# Mars vs Space Crew Dragon

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.

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

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Mars | Space Crew Dragon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.1 (26 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mars-the-arrival/id1458927524/reviews)** | [4.1 (174 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/space-crew-dragon/id1520508121/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 26 | **174** |
| Positive reviews | **65.6% of reviews** | 47.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 38 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 2.6 GB | 352 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Stefan Nyul](https://appshunter.io/developer/1458927523) | [Renzo Macedo](https://appshunter.io/developer/1403943580) |

## What reviewers say

### Mars

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mars-the-arrival/id1458927524)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Logistics contract | $0.99 | one-time |
| MAA Gold Membership | $1.99 | one-time |
| Sponsors contract | $2.99 | one-time |


### Space Crew Dragon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/space-crew-dragon/id1520508121)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked 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.

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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.*