# Nova vs Nexus War

The clearest difference is update cadence: Nexus War at weekly against Nova's every 3 weeks. Nexus War also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). Nova's advantage is chart position (#175 vs unranked). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Nova sells 16 one-off in-app purchases and Nexus War 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 Nova against 4.6 for Nexus War. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4K and 3.4K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 58% of Nova's written reviews are positive against 55% of Nexus War's.

Nova ships an update every 3 weeks, Nexus War weekly. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Nova | Nexus War |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nova-space-armada/id1571450882/reviews)** | [4.6 (3.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nexus-war/id1670072645/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **4K** | 3.4K |
| Positive reviews | **58.2% of reviews** | 55.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#175** | — |
| Size | 2.2 GB | 223 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [STONE3 PTE. LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1571450884) | [VoyagerOne Pte. Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1664028939) |

## What reviewers say

### Nova

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nova-space-armada/id1571450882)

**Currently charting:** #175 Top Grossing · Strategy (US App Store)

Build and command your own space station and fleet in a chaotic galaxy. Forge alliances, explore new worlds, and engage in strategic space battles to shape the future of the sector. Your decisions will determine the fate of the galaxy.

**Highlights:** Build and customize space stations, Assemble modular warship fleets, Form intergalactic alliances, Explore and investigate the sector, Engage in strategic space battles, Uncover galactic mysteries

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

**In-app purchases (16)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tiny Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Special Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Daily Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Bonus Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Limited Pack III | $5.99 | one-time |
| Medium Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Value Pack | $14.99 | one-time |
| Large Pack | $19.99 | one-time |
| Prime Pack | $19.99 | one-time |
| Value Pack | $29.99 | one-time |
| Development Pack 1 | $39.99 | one-time |
| Huge Pack | $49.99 | one-time |
| Development Pack 2 | $54.99 | one-time |
| Limited Pack II | $69.99 | one-time |
| Limited Pack | $79.99 | one-time |
| Epic Pack | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fun, addictive gameplay
- 👍 Decent progression without paying
- 🎨 Beautiful graphics and atmosphere
- 💡 Interesting ship building and customization
- 🌟 Engaging strategy elements

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 🕰️ Slow progression and grindy gameplay
- 💰 Aggressive monetization and pay-to-win mechanics
- 🧠 Steep learning curve, lacking tutorials
- 🤖 Weak and repetitive combat system

**Reported bugs**

- Account loss and data reset issues
- Inability to load game or access certain features
- Bugs in alliance and multiplayer functionality
- Glitches in ship assembly and upgrade process

**Requested features**

- More in-depth storyline and narrative
- Improved tutorial and onboarding experience
- Ability to control ships directly in combat
- Better balance between free-to-play and paid progression
- More diverse and challenging PvE content


### Nexus War

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nexus-war/id1670072645)

Lead a desperate fight for survival on Origin Star against invading forces. Recruit heroes, build a customizable city, and engage in strategic battles to reclaim your home planet. Forge alliances and conquer to become the ruler.

**Highlights:** Open-world exploration, Strategic real-time battles, Hero recruitment and customization, City building and design, Alliance warfare, Mecha customization

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Gift A | $0.99 | one-time |
| Gift B | $1.99 | one-time |
| Gift C | $2.99 | one-time |
| Gift D | $4.99 | one-time |
| Gift E | $9.99 | one-time |
| Gift G | $19.99 | one-time |
| Gift H | $24.99 | one-time |
| Gift K | $29.99 | one-time |
| Gift I | $49.99 | one-time |
| Gift J | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Engaging gameplay
- 👍 Welcoming community
- 🔍 Interesting world-building
- 🎨 Great graphics
- 📈 Steady progression

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- 💰 Pay-to-win mechanics
- 🔍 Overwhelming UI
- 🕰️ Slow progression for F2P players
- 🤖 Lack of customer support

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent game freezes and crashes
- Teleportation issues causing lost progress
- Inability to claim purchased items

**Requested features**

- Ability to skip tutorial and cutscenes
- Resource trading between alliance members
- More server options for fresh starts
- Improved anti-bullying measures


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Nova free?

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

### Is Nexus War free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Nova or Nexus War?

Nova is rated higher. Nova averages 4.7 out of 5 from 4K ratings, while Nexus War averages 4.6 from 3.4K ratings.

### Do Nova or Nexus War have ads?

Neither Nova nor Nexus War shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Nova or Nexus War?

Nova ships an update every 3 weeks, and Nexus War weekly. Most recently, Nova was updated on October 24, 2026 and Nexus War on October 24, 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.*