# Star Empire vs Mini Metro

The clearest difference is price: Star Empire at Free against Mini Metro's $3.99. Star Empire also leads on iOS requirement (5.1.1 vs 13.0). Mini Metro's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 3.7) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Star Empire is free to download; Mini Metro costs $3.99 up front. Star Empire sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Mini Metro asks for nothing beyond the download.

Mini Metro holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mini Metro has 32K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 63% of Star Empire's written reviews are positive against 89% of Mini Metro's.

Star Empire ships an update every 23 months, Mini Metro every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Star Empire | Mini Metro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $3.99 |
| Rating | [3.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/star-empire/id468686957/reviews) | **[4.9 (32K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mini-metro/id837860959/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **32K** |
| Positive reviews | 62.5% of reviews | **88.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 23 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#17** |
| Size | 28 MB | 191 MB |
| Requires iOS | **5.1.1** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [DeadRatGames](https://appshunter.io/developer/302331461) | [Dinosaur Polo Club](https://appshunter.io/developer/1119391227) |

## What reviewers say

### Star Empire

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/star-empire/id468686957)

Engage in tactical space combat with a Match 3 twist. Defend your sector against four alien races, each with unique abilities. Strategically maneuver ships, manage resources for repairs and upgrades, and make critical decisions to destroy enemy bases.

**Highlights:** Tactical space combat, Match 3 gameplay, Defend against alien races, Resource management, Ship upgrades, Strategic decision-making

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Version | $0.99 | one-time |


### Mini Metro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mini-metro/id837860959)

**Currently charting:** #17 Top Paid · Strategy, #24 Top Paid · Simulation, #50 Top Paid · Games, #82 Top Paid (US App Store)

Design and manage a subway system for a growing city. Draw lines, start trains, and adapt your network as new stations open. Strategically use limited resources to keep the city moving and achieve the highest score.

**Highlights:** Design subway maps, Draw lines between stations, Manage train routes, Adapt to random city growth, Utilize limited resources, Over two dozen real-world cities, Variety of upgrades

**Features:** iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Simple and relaxing gameplay
- 🎨 Beautiful minimalist design
- ⏱️ Addictive and time-killing
- 🌐 Wide variety of cities to play
- 💰 Good value for money

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Trains skipping stations
- 🤯 Overwhelming difficulty at times
- 🔍 Lack of clear instructions
- 🔀 Difficulty removing/rerouting lines
- 🕰️ No ability to save progress

**Reported bugs**

- Leaderboard issues with daily challenges
- Crashes and compatibility problems on certain devices
- Unexpected behavior when trains skip stations

**Requested features**

- Undo/redo functionality
- Ability to create branching lines
- More detailed statistics and analytics
- Additional game modes (e.g. career, scenarios)
- Integration with real-world transit data


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Star Empire free?

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

### Is Mini Metro free?

Mini Metro costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Star Empire or Mini Metro?

Mini Metro is rated higher. Star Empire averages 3.7 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Mini Metro averages 4.9 from 32K ratings.

### Do Star Empire or Mini Metro have ads?

Neither Star Empire nor Mini Metro shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Star Empire or Mini Metro?

Star Empire ships an update every 23 months, and Mini Metro every 2 months. Most recently, Star Empire was updated on October 23, 2026 and Mini Metro on October 28, 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.*