# Mars vs Species evolution

The clearest difference is rating: Mars at 4.1 against Species evolution's 2.7. Mars also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (26 vs 3). Species evolution's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Mars sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Species evolution sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Mars holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 2.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mars has 26 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Mars ships an update every 2 months, Species evolution every 5 months. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mars | Species evolution |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.1 (26 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mars-the-arrival/id1458927524/reviews)** | [2.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/species-evolution/id1637074027/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **26** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 65.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 2.6 GB | 168 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Stefan Nyul](https://appshunter.io/developer/1458927523) | [Maksim Kenin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1465659574) |

## 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 |


### Species evolution

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/species-evolution/id1637074027)

Develop and evolve your own creatures in a 3D life simulator. Choose between predator or herbivore paths, upgrade creature characteristics, and manage your species' survival and population growth in various game modes.

**Highlights:** Creature evolution and development, Survival and sandbox modes, Predator vs. Herbivore choices, Upgrade creature characteristics, Artificial intelligence for creature behavior, Population management

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Disable ads | $1.99 | one-time |
| Unlock sandbox | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mars free?

Mars is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Species evolution free?

Species evolution is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Mars or Species evolution?

Mars is rated higher. Mars averages 4.1 out of 5 from 26 ratings, while Species evolution averages 2.7 from 3 ratings.

### Do Mars or Species evolution have ads?

Mars shows ads; Species evolution does not.

### Which is updated more often, Mars or Species evolution?

Mars ships an update every 2 months, and Species evolution every 5 months. Most recently, Mars was updated on November 3, 2026 and Species evolution on November 3, 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.*