# Mars vs Pixel Orbit X

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pixel Orbit X at none against Mars's 3. Pixel Orbit X also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 2 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Mars sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Pixel Orbit X asks for nothing beyond the download.

Mars ships an update every 2 months, Pixel Orbit X every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mars | Pixel Orbit X |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.1 (26 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mars-the-arrival/id1458927524/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **26** | — |
| Positive reviews | 65.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 2.6 GB | 26 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) | [PXL READY (FZE)](https://appshunter.io/developer/1757661952) |

## 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 |


### Pixel Orbit X

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-orbit-x/id6759050397)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mars free?

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

### Is Pixel Orbit X free?

Pixel Orbit X is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Mars or Pixel Orbit X have ads?

Both Mars and Pixel Orbit X show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Mars or Pixel Orbit X?

Mars ships an update every 2 months, and Pixel Orbit X every 9 days. Most recently, Mars was updated on September 22, 2026 and Pixel Orbit X on September 14, 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.*