Starbase Orion vs Star Command
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Starbase Orion
Engage in a deep 4X space strategy experience. Explore, expand, and conquer the galaxy by colonizing worlds, designing ships, and outmaneuvering opponents in turn-based combat. Features a robust AI and multiplayer options for galactic domination.
- Explore new worlds
- Expand your empire
- Exterminate rivals
- Design custom ships
- Engage in turn-based combat
- Diplomacy and espionage
- Multiplayer via GameCenter
Read full descriptionHide full description
"The best 4X game currently available for mobile" - PocketTactics.com "This one is geek heaven" - AppAdvice.com "Master of Orion in Your Pocket” - GamePro.com "Starbase Orion has an epic-feeling" - TouchArcade.com "Starbase Orion is here, and it's glorious." - TUAW.com Explore. Expand. Exterminate. Can you defeat your friends and become the ruler of the galaxy? Starbase Orion is an old-school 4X space strategy game that draws inspiration from titles such as Master of Orion and Galactic Civilizations. Lead your empire from the birth of its space age; colonize new worlds, explore new horizons, and discover other players attempting to do the same. It is a race to the stars where only one empire can declare victory over the galaxy. New to 4X Strategy Games? No Problem Starbase Orion includes a hand tailored tutorial mission perfect for those new to the genre. It features high-quality voice acting provided by the very talented Maurice Thomas. Aged like a Fine Wine With nearly a five year life span the dedicated community of Starbase Orion players and the developer have produced twenty-four fantastic updates. Each update has introduced new features and player suggested functionality to make the game better, more strategic, and more immersive. Strong Single-Player Experience Compete against a battle-tested artificial intelligence. Our AI was derived from our entry into to 2010 Google AI contest, where it placed in the top 15% of thousands of competing intelligences. Go head-to-head against a single AI opponent, or ramp up the carnage with a 4 way free-for-all. GameCenter Multiplayer Turn-Based Games Starbase Orion was designed to provide a fantastic multiplayer experience. Launch the game, sign into GameCenter, and start a new multiplayer game. No need to coordinate play times or seek out other players. Just go play, when you want and on your terms. Choose Your Race, Or Create Your Own There are five uniques races included; Human, Draske, Vass, Cyban, and Isather. You can also create your own custom race by picking and choosing between different race characteristics. Intense Space Combat Design your ships from a variety of weapons, hull, and systems. Send them into battle against the enemy. Give them orders, then watch the battle in unfold as they duke it out in the dark expanses of space. Diplomacy, Espionage, Free Agents Direct confrontations not your cup of tea? Negotiate your way to victory through diplomatic endeavors. Confound your enemies with an army of spies. Contract one of the many power and unique leaders to help you to victory. iCloud Support Starbase Orion is built from the ground up for iOS 5. It supports iCloud so that your saved games are instantly available on all of your devices. Start a game at home on your iPad, then pick it up again the next day on your iPhone. Simple, streamlined, fantastic. Universal - You Bought the Cool Gadgets, Go Play on Them Full support for iPad, iPhone, iPod, standard and Retina displays. Play when you want, where you want. Guaranteed Pricing While it is quite common for apps to become “free for a day”, Starbase Orion is not one of those apps. The standard price for Starbase Orion is $7.99 USD; it will never run a “free for a day” campaign. Tens of thousands of players have placed their confidence in us by purchasing Starbase Orion, and this is our guarantee to you. Guaranteed Free Updates We have a lot more planned for Starbase Orion. We plan to release all updates for free, without any hidden fees or In-App Purchases.
Star Command
Command your own starship, recruit and level up your crew, and explore a vast universe. Engage in tactical combat, manage ship roles, and make decisions that impact your journey through space.
- Build and command your starship
- Hire and level up crew members
- Explore the universe
- Defend against alien civilizations
- Tactical combat and ship management
- Multiple ship hull choices
- Discover alien species
Read full descriptionHide full description
Build and command your own starship, hire your crew, and explore the universe, and defend against alien civilizations! Star Command™ Game Features - • Universal App - iPad and iPhone included. • Premium game - No In-App Purchase (IAP) roadblocks. • HD support for retina pixel goodness. • Level your crew members up and earn new skills. • Build a ship in your own image! • Four distinct ship hulls to choose from. • Focus on tactical, science or engineering. • Amazing soundtrack intensifies the action and exploration. • Over 10 alien species to discover. Brought to you in beautiful HD pixelated glory, Star Command™ brings to life the challenges and joys of managing a starship. Upgrade your ship, get out into the unknown and watch your crew die grizzly deaths all at your command. Strange and annoying alien civilizations await you at every turn. Manage each of your ships roles, focusing on science skills, tactical combat and ship engineering. Prevent alien invaders from taking over your ship and causing massive amounts of damage with sentry guns. Revive dying crew members with new rooms! And don’t forget that your decisions matter - an enemy made early could come back to haunt you later. If you're a fan of Star Wars and Star Trek, or if you enjoy games like XCOM, Clash of Clans, FTL, or Pixel Starships, you'll love Star Command! ---------------------------- Featured Reviews - "...equal parts challenging and clever, making it a must-play for sci-fi strategy fans." - Maclife "A great mobile space romp which adopts a great theme, great gameplay and will keep you busy for quite a few hours..." - AndroidSpin "With hilarious, self-aware satire and surprisingly deep tactical gameplay, this long-awaited adventure is a must-play for any sci-fi fan and a love letter to all things Star Trek." - Editors' Choice "If you're looking for a strategy title on the iOS that will keep you on your toes, Star Command should more than suffice." - Appspy "Should you dive in immediately? Absolutely." - TouchArcade ---------------------------- Star Command © 2011 Warballoon, LLC (formerly Star Command, LLC). STAR COMMAND and related marks and logos are trademarks of Warballoon, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy: https://www.starcommandgame.com/privacy-apple.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Starbase Orion at 4.7 against Star Command's 4.0. Starbase Orion also leads on review sentiment (81% vs 66%) and iOS requirement (11.2 vs 15.6). Star Command's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs every 3 months) and price ($2.99 vs $7.99). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Starbase Orion costs $7.99 and Star Command $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Starbase Orion holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 329 and 905 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 81% of Starbase Orion's written reviews are positive against 66% of Star Command's.
Starbase Orion ships an update every 3 months, Star Command every 10 days. Both last shipped on September 23, 2026.
| Parameter | Starbase Orion | Star Command |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $7.99 | $2.99 — better |
| Rating | 4.7 (329 ratings) — better | 4.0 (905 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 81.2% of reviews — better | 66.1% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 329 | 905 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 10 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | #132 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 11.2 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 239 MB | 101 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Chimera Software, LLC | Star Command, LLC |
Customer experience
Starbase Orion
Star Command
User reviews
Starbase Orion
From 329 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Excellent 4x strategy game
- 👍 Faithful recreation of Master of Orion
- 🚀 Continuously updated with new features
- 👍 Vibrant player community
- 🚀 Smooth gameplay and intuitive controls
Room to improve
- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 🔍 Limited diplomacy and foreign relations
- 🔍 Automated combat lacks depth
- 🔍 Repetitive late-game experience
- 🔍 Outdated visuals
Star Command
From 905 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Amazing game
- 🚀 Fun and challenging gameplay
- 🚀 Great music and visuals
- 👍 No in-app purchases
- 👍 Replayability
Room to improve
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 🐛 UI issues (e.g. buttons off-screen)
- 🔍 Short story/content
- 🔍 Repetitive gameplay
- 🔍 Lack of updates/new content
Bugs and requests
Starbase Orion
Reported bugs
3 issues- Crashes and save file corruption
- UI issues with overlapping text and unresponsive controls
- Multiplayer matchmaking and connectivity problems
Requested features
5 requests- More ship classes and customization options
- Expanded tech tree and research system
- Deeper diplomacy and espionage mechanics
- Manual control of ship combat
- Improved end-game content and victory conditions
Star Command
Reported bugs
4 issues- Game crashes on startup
- Crew members getting stuck or lost
- Weapons/UI elements disappearing
- Progression/save data issues
Requested features
5 requests- More ships, rooms, and customization options
- Expanded story and missions
- Multiplayer and co-op modes
- Ability to board enemy ships
- Improved crew management and AI
In-app purchases
Starbase Orion
No in-app purchases
Star Command
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Starbase Orion free?
Is Star Command free?
Which has better reviews, Starbase Orion or Star Command?
Do Starbase Orion or Star Command have ads?
Which is updated more often, Starbase Orion or Star Command?
Other comparisons















