Comparison

Space Commander vs Starhaven

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Space Commander

Pilot a customizable fleet in a vast galaxy, engaging in combat, trade, and exploration. Choose your career path as a mercenary, trader, or pirate, and build your own space empire. Experience deep mechanics and diverse campaigns for endless adventure.

Highlights
  • Fleet customization and upgrades
  • Multiple career paths (mercenary, trader, pirate)
  • Deep economy and trade systems
  • Galaxy exploration with generated star systems
  • Diverse campaigns and mission editor
  • Commander skill progression
Features
Read full description

Space Commander: War and Trade is an ultimate single player space-sim featuring spectacular graphics, intuitive combat and deep mechanics. Various campaigns offer diverse experiences ranging from arcade shooter to sandbox RPG. BE A SPACE PILOT Build your fleet from an array of specialized ship classes! Choose from fast and maneuverable fighters to heavy bombers and large transporters. Customize and upgrade your vessels to fit your unique playstyle. Gather experience and upgrade your Commander Skills to be more efficient in combat and trade. PURSUE A CAREER AS A MERCENARY, TRADER OR MOBSTER Find your path. Go for the action with Delta Merc. Join the honorable space rangers and be the strong arm of the law. If you prefer a more peaceful job, then consider linking up with Motus — a transport company providing various escort and profitable trading missions. Break the law and become a space pirate with Syndicate — a ruffian group of smugglers that focus on attacking ships throughout the galaxy. By gathering reputation points for each faction, you’ll gain access to more challenging and profitable missions. DIVE IN DEEP FOR ENGAGING MECHANICS Implemented economy, diverse station wares, and trade systems add another layer to the gameplay. Managing fuel usage and discovering the best trade route is crucial for running a successful transport business. If you earn enough credits, you’ll be able to buy your own space stations and build specialized production modules. Explore the furthest corners of the galaxy with our expanse module generating countless star systems that are waiting to be discovered by you. JUMP IN THE MIDDLE OF CORPORATE WAR OR FIGHT ALIENS Space Commander: War and Trade comes with multiple campaigns offering unique experiences for everyone — from casual players to hardcore fans of classic space-sims. Our advanced and powerful mission editor will allow you to create your own stories and download campaigns created by the community. BECOME THE SPACE COMMANDER! ● New space sandbox RPG from the creators of The Pirate series. ● Build, manage and customize your fleet. ● Choose your career path by fulfilling faction missions. ● Explore various star systems generated by our expanse module. ● Multiple campaigns offering unique gameplay experiences.

About

Starhaven

Explore a distant region of space, visiting planets and black holes. Engage in large-scale combat with enemy drones and compete with friends online through Game Center integration.

Highlights
  • Space exploration
  • Planet and black hole visits
  • Large-scale combat
  • Enemy drone ships
  • Multiplayer via Game Center
  • Online leaderboards
Features
Read full description

A single-player and multiplayer spaceflight game that allows you to:  Visit planets and black holes in a remote region of outer space. Witness and engage in large-scale combat with enemy drone ships. Integrate with Apple's Game Center so you can face off with friends and other players online!

Screenshots

Space Commander4 screens
Starhaven4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Starhaven at 5.0 against Space Commander's 4.1. Starhaven also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ads (none vs shown). Space Commander's advantage is ratings volume (173 vs 15) and device support (4 vs 2). On price and iOS requirement 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. Space Commander sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Starhaven asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Starhaven holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Space Commander has 173 ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 65% of Space Commander's written reviews are positive against 100% of Starhaven's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Space Commander ships an update every 4 months, Starhaven every 3 days. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Space Commander versus Starhaven: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpace CommanderStarhaven
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (173 ratings)5.0 (15 ratings) — better
Positive reviews65.5% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings173 — better15
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size283 MB141 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperTeresa DymekJared Prior

Customer experience

Space Commander

All ratings173 ratings
Positive78.6%
Neutral6.4%
Negative15.0%
Written reviews139 reviews
Positive65.5%
Neutral7.9%
Negative26.6%

Starhaven

All ratings15 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Space Commander

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Merchant missions not recognized when docked, leading to lost cargo and reputation
  • Inability to edit game on mobile devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add larger capital ships for players to own and command
  • Implement an auto-trading feature to manage supply lines
  • Allow players to declare war, conquer stations, and build their own faction
  • Enable colonization of planets and building of stations outside the home system
  • Provide the ability to control multiple fleets simultaneously

Starhaven

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Space Commander

One-time10
  • Remove Advertisements$0.99
  • 1000 credits$0.99
  • 30 ship parts$1.99
Show 7 more
  • Unlock B-3 Apocalypse$1.99
  • Unlock Mamba$1.99
  • Unlock T16 Rex$1.99
  • Unlock G-4 Gidorah$2.99
  • 20 000 credits$4.99
  • 50 000 credits$7.99
  • Mega Pack$9.99
None

Starhaven

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Space Commander free?
Space Commander is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Starhaven free?
Starhaven is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Space Commander or Starhaven?
Starhaven is rated higher. Space Commander averages 4.1 out of 5 from 173 ratings, while Starhaven averages 5.0 from 15 ratings.
Do Space Commander or Starhaven have ads?
Space Commander shows ads; Starhaven does not.
Which is updated more often, Space Commander or Starhaven?
Space Commander ships an update every 4 months, and Starhaven every 3 days. Most recently, Space Commander was updated on November 3, 2026 and Starhaven on November 3, 2026.

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