# Control Tower vs Elite Space Trader

The clearest difference is price: Control Tower at Free against Elite Space Trader's $0.99. Control Tower also leads on rating (4.2 vs 1.0) and review sentiment (39% vs 0%). Elite Space Trader's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ads (none vs shown). On device support there is nothing between them.

Control Tower is free to download; Elite Space Trader costs $0.99 up front. Control Tower sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Elite Space Trader asks for nothing beyond the download.

Control Tower holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Control Tower has 193 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 39% of Control Tower's written reviews are positive against 0% of Elite Space Trader's.

Control Tower ships an update every 7 months, Elite Space Trader every 29 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Control Tower | Elite Space Trader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $0.99 |
| Rating | **[4.2 (193 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/control-tower-air-traffic/id457562295/reviews)** | [1.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elite-space-trader/id1506528705/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **193** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **39.4% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 7 months** | Every 29 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 82 MB | 0 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [4 SAVE SOFT DOO NOVI SAD](https://appshunter.io/developer/434676499) | [JOhn Lyons](https://appshunter.io/developer/571586394) |

## What reviewers say

### Control Tower

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/control-tower-air-traffic/id457562295)

Guide aircraft to safe landing zones and prevent collisions by drawing flight paths. This strategy game requires quick reflexes and careful planning to manage air traffic and achieve high scores.

**Highlights:** Guide aircraft to landing zones, Draw flight paths, Classic game mode, Online high scores, Achievements, Addictive gameplay

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock FULL game | $0.99 | one-time |
| Control Tower Pro | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Addictive and engaging gameplay
- 👍 Simple and easy to learn mechanics
- 🧠 Good brain exercise and attention training
- 🎨 Nice graphics and visual design
- ⚡ Quick to download and lightweight

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezes
- 📺 Excessive and intrusive advertisements
- 🎮 Uncontrollable planes at screen borders
- 📱 Poor scaling on newer devices (iPhone 11+)
- 🎯 Unfair gameplay mechanics (planes spawn uncontrollably)

**Reported bugs**

- Planes spawn on screen edges and cannot be controlled
- App crashes when submitting scores
- App freezes mid-game with no save function
- Touch input delay and unresponsive controls
- Planes crash due to uncontrollable border spawns

**Requested features**

- New maps and levels
- Restore original Flight Control game
- Better sound design and music
- Improved plane graphics and visual clarity
- Tutorial for new players


### Elite Space Trader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elite-space-trader/id1506528705)

Engage in a 2D space trading and combat simulation. Navigate between star systems, evade pirates, and raid ships for cargo while evading law enforcement. Choose your path between good and evil.

**Highlights:** 2D space trading, Space combat, Pirate evasion, Ship boarding, Cargo theft, Choice of good or evil path, Touch controls

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Control Tower free?

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

### Is Elite Space Trader free?

Elite Space Trader costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Control Tower or Elite Space Trader?

Control Tower is rated higher. Control Tower averages 4.2 out of 5 from 193 ratings, while Elite Space Trader averages 1.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Control Tower or Elite Space Trader have ads?

Control Tower shows ads; Elite Space Trader does not.

### Which is updated more often, Control Tower or Elite Space Trader?

Control Tower ships an update every 7 months, and Elite Space Trader every 29 months. Most recently, Control Tower was updated on November 6, 2026 and Elite Space Trader on November 3, 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.*