# Idle Air Force Base vs Idle Sand Tycoon

Idle Air Force Base and Idle Sand Tycoon both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 37% of Idle Air Force Base's written reviews are positive against 16% of Idle Sand Tycoon's. Idle Air Force Base also leads on update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (20K vs 2.6K). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Idle Air Force Base sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Idle Sand Tycoon sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Idle Air Force Base against 4.7 for Idle Sand Tycoon. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Idle Air Force Base has 20K ratings behind it against 2.6K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 37% of Idle Air Force Base's written reviews are positive against 16% of Idle Sand Tycoon's.

Idle Air Force Base ships an update every 5 weeks, Idle Sand Tycoon every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Idle Air Force Base | Idle Sand Tycoon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (20K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-air-force-base/id1494715412/reviews)** | [4.7 (2.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-sand-tycoon/id6446575926/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **20K** | 2.6K |
| Positive reviews | **36.9% of reviews** | 16.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 274 MB | 211 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [IsCool Entertainment](https://appshunter.io/developer/567562644) | [Solid Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/1625798412) |

## What reviewers say

### Idle Air Force Base

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-air-force-base/id1494715412)

Build and train the ultimate Air Force in this strategic idle game. Manage rigorous training programs, deploy advanced aircraft, and engage in epic battles to conquer cities and countries worldwide.

**Highlights:** Build and upgrade Air Force base, Train pilots and squadrons, Deploy fighter jets and drones, Engage in strategic battles, Conquer cities and countries, Unlock various aircraft

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Customisation Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Air Force Commander | $4.99 | one-time |
| Bundle of Coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| No More Ads Special | $5.99 | one-time |
| Flying Ace Special | $7.99 | one-time |
| No More Ads! | $9.99 | one-time |
| Stack of coins | $9.99 | one-time |
| Flying Ace | $9.99 | one-time |
| No Ads! | $9.99 | one-time |
| Mountain of Coins Special | $35.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast progression
- 🚀 Addictive gameplay
- 👍 Great graphics
- 👍 Realistic aircraft
- 👍 Enjoyable war mode

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitchy tutorial
- 🐛 Inconsistent battle outcomes
- 🐛 Offline earnings issues
- 💰 Expensive upgrades
- 💰 Aggressive monetization

**Reported bugs**

- Crashing after short playtime
- Incorrect plane counts in hangar
- Inability to close war screen
- Disappearing troops after app switch

**Requested features**

- Allow manual control of aircraft in battles
- Improve offline earnings and progression
- Add more strategic depth to war mode
- Optimize performance on weaker devices


### Idle Sand Tycoon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-sand-tycoon/id6446575926)

Build a vast sand excavation empire from humble beginnings. Expand your industry, upgrade vehicles and machines, and recruit managers to optimize production. Compete to fulfill orders and become the ultimate sand tycoon.

**Highlights:** Unlock and upgrade buildings, vehicles, and machines, Expand production lines, Discover new maps and mining forms, Recruit business managers, Fulfill orders quickly, Manage VIP customers

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Contains 10 Ad tickets | $0.99 | one-time |
| Diamond Pack 1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Remove ads for 2 days | $1.99 | one-time |
| Contains 60 Ad tickets | $3.99 | one-time |
| Diamond Pack 2 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Marketing Expert | $4.99 | one-time |
| General Manager | $4.99 | one-time |
| Diamond Pack 3 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Remove ads | $9.99 | one-time |
| Diamond Pack 4 | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🤑 Awesome game
- 🎮 Fun gameplay
- 🎨 Nice graphics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤖 Forced ads
- 💰 Expensive to remove ads
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches

**Reported bugs**

- Excavator menu gets stuck
- Crashes and freezes
- Upgrade screen issues

**Requested features**

- Add music option
- Improve excavator menu navigation
- Reduce frequency of ads


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Idle Air Force Base free?

Idle Air Force Base is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Idle Sand Tycoon free?

Idle Sand Tycoon is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Idle Air Force Base or Idle Sand Tycoon?

Idle Air Force Base is rated higher. Idle Air Force Base averages 4.7 out of 5 from 20K ratings, while Idle Sand Tycoon averages 4.7 from 2.6K ratings.

### Do Idle Air Force Base or Idle Sand Tycoon have ads?

Both Idle Air Force Base and Idle Sand Tycoon show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Idle Air Force Base or Idle Sand Tycoon?

Idle Air Force Base ships an update every 5 weeks, and Idle Sand Tycoon every 3 months. Most recently, Idle Air Force Base was updated on November 11, 2026 and Idle Sand Tycoon on November 7, 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.*