Comparison

Blue Defense vs Between Stars

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

Head to head
About

Blue Defense

Defend your planet from alien invaders using a powerful cannon. Engage in intense arcade action with various game modes, leaderboards, and unlockable content. Enjoy updated retro graphics and flexible controls.

Highlights
  • Planet cannon for mass enemy destruction
  • Gauntlet mode to win the game
  • Infinite-Classic and Infinite-Quickstart modes
  • Level select with medal earning
  • 74 global leaderboards
  • Automatic save state
  • Multi-touch and tilt controls
Features
Read full description

"Entirely unique, without peer on the app store!" - NoDpad "Original, intense, addictive, and most of all, fun!" - 148apps Intense planetary defense arcade action! The Blue planet is in peril - take the fight into your own hands, and blast the evil Red and Green enemies out of the sky with the all-new planet cannon! Blue Defense: Second Wave builds on the legendary pick-up-and-play gameplay of the original 2008 hit, hailed as an "App Store classic" by many. With game modes ranging from just seconds to several hours, you won't be able to put it down!* 6.8 billion lives hang in the balance... how long can you keep them alive? "A game that's not to be missed." - TouchArcade "A brilliantly executed game... Replay value is outstanding!" - AppSmile Features: - The planet cannon lets you take out hundreds of enemies at once! - All-new Gauntlet mode lets you win the game!** - Infinite-Classic and Infinite-Quickstart modes - last as long as you can! - Level select mode - practice a level, and earn medals for your skills! - 74 mode-based global leaderboards! - Automatic save state - continue your game, even without iOS 4! - Updated retro art style - iPhone 4 Retina resolution graphics - Runs smooth and fast even on the oldest devices Content: - Red and Green enemies! - 24 enemy types! - 64 all-new levels! - Over 200 medals to obtain! Controls: - Both multitouch and tilt controls available, both can be used simultaneously - Tilt controls: bullets shoot up, unless there's no gravity where you are - Multi-target locking: double-tap the screen where you want to continue shooting - Planet cannon: tap and drag from the planet to aim, release to fire - Double-tap the planet to pause * Seriously, there's a guy who told me he'd play it quietly in his pew waiting for church to start! ** It's the only game mode where you can have more than 0 lives at the end...

About

Between Stars

Features
Read full description

Between Stars is a calm gravity puzzle in space. Guide a ship to the glowing blue goal using the pull of planets. Play all 7 levels in “Origins” free, with no ads. One optional purchase permanently unlocks the other 20 levels and every future paid level pack. Aim the ship, launch, and watch gravity bend the route. Every level has a one-burn solution: use one continuous thrust activation, then let gravity carry the ship to the destination without more thrust. Finding it is a challenge, not a requirement — you can use additional thrust whenever you need to correct your course. When you complete a level, you earn points called lumen. How many you earn depends only on your total thrust time: less thrust means more lumen. You can wait before launch without losing lumen. Letting gravity carry the ship doesn’t cost lumen either. Your highest-scoring flight on each level is automatically saved for replay. As you complete levels, these replays form a personal collection you can watch anytime and show to friends. Every successful flight is also saved in “Your paths.” Open it from a completed level to see all your successful routes together. The game includes 27 hand-tuned puzzles divided into three level packs. “Origins” centers on planets that pull the ship. “Deep Gravity” adds moving planets, pulsing gravity fields, and two-planet systems. “Aurora” introduces repulsors: fields that push the ship away instead of pulling it closer. There are no time limits, no lives, and no fuel limits. Retries are unlimited. Experiment at your own pace. Optional hints show a successful route only when you ask. • A calm ambient soundtrack for each pack • Play in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, or Portuguese • No ads, accounts, tracking, or subscriptions

Screenshots

Blue Defense4 screens
Between Stars4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Between Stars at every 10 days against Blue Defense's every 3 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. Blue Defense sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Between Stars sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Blue Defense ships an update every 3 months, Between Stars every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Blue Defense versus Between Stars: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBlue DefenseBetween Stars
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (20 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews81.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings20 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB181 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperCat in a Box SoftwareFixed Point Solutions SRL

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Blue Defense

One-time1
  • Full Content$1.99
1 purchases

Between Stars

One-time1
  • Deep Gravity + Aurora$2.99

Questions

Is Blue Defense free?
Blue Defense is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Between Stars free?
Between Stars is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Blue Defense or Between Stars have ads?
Neither Blue Defense nor Between Stars shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Blue Defense or Between Stars?
Blue Defense ships an update every 3 months, and Between Stars every 10 days. Most recently, Blue Defense was updated on November 1, 2026 and Between Stars on November 5, 2026.

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