Comparison

Mars vs Mars

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

Build and manage a thriving colony on Mars in the year 2050. Explore the planet, research new technologies, and collaborate with other colonies to overcome daily challenges and establish a new civilization.

Highlights
  • Explore Mars with Rovers
  • Collaborate on Mega Builds
  • Help Citizens with Minigames
  • Research New Technologies
  • Build Colony Structures
  • Collect and Study Stone Samples
Features
Read full description

We are in the year 2050, all the resources on Earth are close to depletion, so we have no choice but to colonize other planets. Mars is the closest planet to us, and we have to find a way to colonize it as fast as possible. However, going to a new planet that we never lived on before is not going to be easy. Every day is different and comes with new challenges. -Explore the Mars- Upgrade or unlock new Rovers to explore Mars on exciting Expeditions and collect and study Stone Samples. -Collaborate with other Colonies- Together with other Colonies you can collaborate on building a Space Lift or other Mega Builds. -Help your Citizen with Minigames- Meet various Citizens of your Colony. Like Freddy the Mechanic, Luna the Scientist, Nura the Gardener or Yuri the Technician and help them with little Puzzles or fun Minigames. -New Technologies- Research on new Technologies like Fusion Energy to unlock new Possibilities for your Colony and Humanity -Build your own Colony- Aluminum Mines, Water Pumps, Solar Power Plants, Residences, Nuclear Power Plants, Science Centers and many more Buildings. Build up a completely new Civilization on Mars. Give it a try for yourself and enjoy creating the best Mars Colony of all!

Screenshots

Mars4 screens
Mars4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Mars at 66% against Mars's 20%. Mars also leads on rating (4.1 vs 2.3) and ratings volume (26 vs 3). Mars's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 and Mars sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Mars holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 2.3. 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. Written reviews point the same way: 66% of Mars's written reviews are positive against 20% of Mars's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Mars ships an update every 2 months, Mars every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Mars versus Mars: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMarsMars
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (26 ratings) — better2.3 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews65.6% of reviews — better20.0% of reviews
Number of ratings26 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.011.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size2.6 GB402 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStefan NyulPaul Noack

Customer experience

Mars

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

Mars

All ratings3 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive20.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative60.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Mars

One-time3
  • Logistics contract$0.99
  • MAA Gold Membership$1.99
  • Sponsors contract$2.99
11 purchases

Mars

One-time11
  • Tiny Antimatter Pack$0.99
  • Small Antimatter Pack$1.99
  • Medium Antimatter Pack$3.99
Show 8 more
  • Small Bundle$4.99
  • Large Antimatter Pack$8.99
  • Small Bundle$12.99
  • Medium Bundle$13.99
  • Extra Large Antimatter Pack$24.99
  • Large Bundle$31.99
  • Medium Bundle$34.99
  • Large Bundle$69.99

Questions

Is Mars free?
Mars is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Mars free?
Mars is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Mars or Mars?
Mars is rated higher. Mars averages 4.1 out of 5 from 26 ratings, while Mars averages 2.3 from 3 ratings.
Do Mars or Mars have ads?
Both Mars and Mars show ads.
Which is updated more often, Mars or Mars?
Mars ships an update every 2 months, and Mars every 4 days. Most recently, Mars was updated on September 22, 2026 and Mars on September 11, 2026.

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