# Space Commander vs Starhaven

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.

Both are free to download. Space Commander sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Starhaven asks for nothing beyond the download.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Space Commander | Starhaven |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (173 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/space-commander-war-and-trade/id1524627432/reviews) | **[5.0 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starhaven/id6447084849/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **173** | 15 |
| Positive reviews | 65.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 283 MB | 141 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Teresa Dymek](https://appshunter.io/developer/1108488686) | [Jared Prior](https://appshunter.io/developer/1530843930) |

## What reviewers say

### Space Commander

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/space-commander-war-and-trade/id1524627432)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Advertisements | $0.99 | one-time |
| 1000 credits | $0.99 | one-time |
| 30 ship parts | $1.99 | one-time |
| Unlock B-3 Apocalypse | $1.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Mamba | $1.99 | one-time |
| Unlock T16 Rex | $1.99 | one-time |
| Unlock G-4 Gidorah | $2.99 | one-time |
| 20 000 credits | $4.99 | one-time |
| 50 000 credits | $7.99 | one-time |
| Mega Pack | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great gameplay
- 👍 Customizable ships
- 🚀 Smooth controls
- 👍 Offline playability
- 🚀 Impressive graphics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional glitches and bugs
- 💰 Microtransactions and paywalls
- 🔒 Limited control options (no controller support)
- 🕹️ Clunky controls on mobile
- 🕰️ Slow progression without paying

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starhaven/id6447084849)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


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