Staax vs Mars Markets
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Staax
This app allows you to pay and get paid in fractional shares of stock, integrating investing into everyday transactions. You can send friends small amounts of stock as reimbursements, build your portfolio socially, and engage with a community feed of transactions. It offers commission-free trading and fractional shares starting from $1.
- Pay and get paid in stock
- Fractional share investing
- Social investing feed
- Commission-free trading
- Embed investing into lifestyle
- Friend portfolio insights
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Staax lets you pay and get paid in fractional shares of stock for everyday transactions. We make investing in stocks social, and allow you to embed investing into your lifestyle. On Staax you can send your friends as little as $1 of stock for dinner last night, phone bill, or coffee! Start building your portfolio with friends today. INTRODUCING PAYMENTS IN STOCKS: Staax lets you build your portfolio just by getting paid back by your friends. Instead of getting paid back in cash for reimbursements, you can choose to get paid in any of your top five favorite stocks. You can change your mind and swap out for cash as well, if you prefer to receive a different stock or later invest it at a different date. We encourage everyone to focus on the long-term benefits of investing, and contributing to their portfolio in a diverse and frequent way. NO FEES: We take $0 commission on stock / ETF trading and payments. There will be no fees regardless of the dollar ($) amount transacted or invested. FRACTIONAL SHARES: Invest, send and receive as little as $1. Invest in the companies you believe in with fractional shares, without any pressure to buy whole shares of stock. BECOME SOCIAL: Receive access to a rolling feed of real-time transactions that are happening within your community, where you can engage in conversation by “liking” and “commenting”. Check out what stocks people are sending, receiving, and investing in. Follow your friends, and gain insight on their favorite stocks. Directly invest in your friends every time you pay them back, and contribute to their long-term portfolio. Learn to invest in a social environment! EXPLORE: Search for friends, stocks, and ETFs on the explore page. Check out what’s trending, and keep up to date on current events by getting access to in-app news article links. SAFE AND SECURE: At Staax, we’ve got your back, and we hold privacy and security to the highest standards. We use bank-level security, SSL and 256-bit encryption to ensure your information is fully protected. We use Plaid to link your bank accounts, which is a safe and secure way to transfer your funds into Staax. Our brokerage partner Alpaca is a member of FINRA and SIPC, and your account is protected up to $500,000.
Mars Markets
Invest directly in your favorite music artists, diversifying your portfolio with unique artist offerings. Access in-depth data and exclusive experiences to make informed decisions and support creators. This platform is regulated and designed for both fans and artists.
- Invest in music artists
- Diversify investment portfolio
- Access in-depth artist data
- Exclusive artist experiences
- Regulated investment platform
- Artist and fan focused
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Invest in Music Mars Markets is redefining the music industry by enabling people to invest directly in their favorite artists—not just in catalogs and publishing. Build and diversify your portfolio with a variety of artist offerings, and access in-depth data to make informed investment decisions. Regulated Mars Markets operates under rigorous standards and regulatory oversight. Securities are offered through Ahana Markets, LLC, an SEC-registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA/SIPC. Data-Driven Decisions, Personalized Investments Unlock the power of millions of data points, including streaming performance, social media engagement, and more. With Mars Markets, you can explore opportunities across the entire music industry, from emerging talent to global superstars. Mars for Artists Experience an investment platform designed by artists, for artists. At Mars, we believe artists are the CEOs of their own careers and deserve access to the resources needed to fund their vision and grow their success. Mars for Fans Elevate your role as a fan by investing directly in the artists you admire. Support their journey while unlocking exclusive, curated experiences that connect you more deeply to the music and its creators. How It Works Diversify Your Portfolio: Invest in shares of music artists at any stage of their careers. Leverage Pro Metrics: Access comprehensive data, including career trajectories, momentum trends, and key insights, to make smarter investments. Participate in Shareholder Meetings: Stay engaged through exclusive meetings where artists share updates, reveal new projects, debut unreleased music, and connect with their investors. Join Us Be part of the future of music by investing in the artists you love. Start building your portfolio and turning your passion into partnership. Visit www.marsmarkets.com to get started. See important disclosures at www.marsmarkets.com/disclosures.
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Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Staax at none against Mars Markets's shown. Staax also leads on monetization model (free vs ad-supported) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.0). Mars Markets's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and review sentiment (100% vs 88%). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Mars Markets holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 21 and 8 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 88% of Staax's written reviews are positive against 100% of Mars Markets's.
Staax ships an update every 8 days, Mars Markets every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Staax | Mars Markets |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (21 ratings) | 5.0 (8 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 87.5% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 21 — better | 8 |
| Update frequency | Every 8 days — better | Every 2 weeks |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Ad-supported |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 59 MB | 160 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Parrot Finance, Inc. | Mars Markets Corp |
Customer experience
Staax
Mars Markets
In-app purchases
Staax
No in-app purchases
Mars Markets
No in-app purchases









