Comparison

Mars vs Mars Perseverance 3D Simulator

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

Mars Perseverance 3D Simulator

Experience the Mars Perseverance rover's landing and exploration. Pilot the rover across the Martian surface and fly the Ingenuity drone in this realistic space simulator.

Highlights
  • Relive Perseverance rover's Mars arrival
  • Enter Martian atmosphere and land
  • Pilot the rover on the surface
  • Fly the Ingenuity drone
  • Based on real NASA mission
Features
Read full description

Explore the journey of Perseverance on Mars in a 3D space simulator. Guide the descent through the atmosphere, attempt a landing, drive the rover across the surface and fly the Ingenuity helicopter. Take on different stages of the journey: • Atmospheric entry and descent • Landing on Mars • Rover driving on the surface • Ingenuity helicopter flight Choose a stage from the mission menu and return to try again. Each activity uses the game's on-screen controls. This is a game inspired by the Perseverance mission, rather than a scientific training tool.

Screenshots

Mars4 screens
Mars Perseverance 3D Simulator4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Mars Perseverance 3D Simulator at none against Mars's 3. Mars Perseverance 3D Simulator also leads on ratings volume (178 vs 26). Mars's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 66 months). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads 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. Mars Perseverance 3D Simulator 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 4.0 for Mars Perseverance 3D Simulator. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mars Perseverance 3D Simulator has 178 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 59% of Mars Perseverance 3D Simulator's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Mars ships an update every 2 months, Mars Perseverance 3D Simulator every 66 months. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Mars versus Mars Perseverance 3D Simulator: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMarsMars Perseverance 3D Simulator
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (26 ratings) — better4.0 (178 ratings)
Positive reviews65.6% of reviews — better59.1% of reviews
Number of ratings26178 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 66 months
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size2.6 GB219 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%

Mars Perseverance 3D Simulator

All ratings177 ratings
Positive73.4%
Neutral4.0%
Negative22.6%
Written reviews22 reviews
Positive59.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative40.9%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Mars

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

Mars Perseverance 3D Simulator

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Mars free?
Mars is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Mars Perseverance 3D Simulator free?
Mars Perseverance 3D Simulator is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Mars or Mars Perseverance 3D Simulator?
Mars is rated higher. Mars averages 4.1 out of 5 from 26 ratings, while Mars Perseverance 3D Simulator averages 4.0 from 178 ratings.
Do Mars or Mars Perseverance 3D Simulator have ads?
Both Mars and Mars Perseverance 3D Simulator show ads.
Which is updated more often, Mars or Mars Perseverance 3D Simulator?
Mars ships an update every 2 months, and Mars Perseverance 3D Simulator every 66 months. Most recently, Mars was updated on November 3, 2026 and Mars Perseverance 3D Simulator on November 3, 2026.

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