# Mars vs Mars

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.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mars | Mars |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.1 (26 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mars-the-arrival/id1458927524/reviews)** | [2.3 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mars-colonization/id1644154430/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **26** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | **65.6% of reviews** | 20.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 2.6 GB | 402 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Stefan Nyul](https://appshunter.io/developer/1458927523) | [Paul Noack](https://appshunter.io/developer/1541962473) |

## 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 |


### Mars

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mars-colonization/id1644154430)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tiny Antimatter Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Small Antimatter Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Medium Antimatter Pack | $3.99 | one-time |
| Small Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Large Antimatter Pack | $8.99 | one-time |
| Small Bundle | $12.99 | one-time |
| Medium Bundle | $13.99 | one-time |
| Extra Large Antimatter Pack | $24.99 | one-time |
| Large Bundle | $31.99 | one-time |
| Medium Bundle | $34.99 | one-time |
| Large Bundle | $69.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*