# Nova vs Foundation

The clearest difference is chart position: Foundation at #19 against Nova's unranked. Foundation also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). 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 Foundation sells 9 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 Foundation. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3.9K and 8.5K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 58% of Nova's written reviews are positive against 62% of Foundation's.

Nova ships an update every 3 weeks, Foundation fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Nova | Foundation |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (3.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nova-space-armada/id1571450882/reviews)** | [4.6 (8.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/foundation-galactic-frontier/id6737595599/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 3.9K | **8.5K** |
| Positive reviews | 58.4% of reviews | **61.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#19** |
| Size | 2.1 GB | 3.6 GB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [STONE3 PTE. LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1571450884) | [FunPlus International AG](https://appshunter.io/developer/1343106322) |

## What reviewers say

### Nova

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

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


### Foundation

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/foundation-galactic-frontier/id6737595599)

**Currently charting:** #19 Top Grossing · Role Playing, #26 Top Grossing · Strategy, #37 Top Free · Role Playing, #45 Top Free · Strategy, #127 Top Grossing · Games (US App Store)

Embark on an epic sci-fi adventure in a falling Galactic Empire. Command your starship, explore uncharted space, and dominate a saga blending deep strategy with intense action. Uncover secrets, build your fleet, and shape the future of humanity.

**Highlights:** Interstellar trader/bounty hunter/political strategist role, Cinematic narrative events reacting to player choices, Mothership construction and customization, Crew management and bonding, Space exploration with landing shooter combats, Fleet construction and RTS galaxy wars, Alliance participation in interstellar conflicts

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Purchase Packs | $0.99 | one-time |
| Purchase Packs | $1.99 | one-time |
| Purchase Packs | $2.99 | one-time |
| Purchase Packs | $4.99 | one-time |
| Purchase Packs | $9.99 | one-time |
| Purchase Packs | $19.99 | one-time |
| Purchase Packs | $29.99 | one-time |
| Purchase Packs | $49.99 | one-time |
| Purchase Packs | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great game
- 🚀 Awesome gameplay
- 👍 Brings back the show
- 👍 Fun and interactive
- 👍 Visually fantastic

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Buggy and unstable
- 💰 Heavily monetized
- 🤖 Questionable use of AI
- 🤷‍♀️ Doesn't match the ads

**Reported bugs**

- Game freezes during tutorial
- Crashes after completing first chapter
- Frequent disconnections

**Requested features**

- Add Russian language support
- Improve performance on older devices
- Reduce in-game monetization


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Nova free?

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

### Is Foundation free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Nova or Foundation?

Nova is rated higher. Nova averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3.9K ratings, while Foundation averages 4.6 from 8.5K ratings.

### Do Nova or Foundation have ads?

Neither Nova nor Foundation shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Nova or Foundation?

Nova ships an update every 3 weeks, and Foundation fortnightly. Most recently, Nova was updated on September 22, 2026 and Foundation on September 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.*