# Space Borders vs Star Traders

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Star Traders at none against Space Borders's 1. Star Traders also leads on chart position (#76 vs unranked) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). Space Borders's advantage is price ($1.99 vs $6.99) and review sentiment (91% vs 73%). On rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Space Borders costs $1.99 and Star Traders $6.99 up front. Space Borders sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Star Traders asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Space Borders against 4.6 for Star Traders. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 167 and 674 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 91% of Space Borders's written reviews are positive against 73% of Star Traders's.

Space Borders ships an update every 2 months, Star Traders every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Space Borders | Star Traders |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$1.99** | $6.99 |
| Rating | **[4.7 (167 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/space-borders-alien-encounter/id490625226/reviews)** | [4.6 (674 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/star-traders-frontiers/id1442583232/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 167 | **674** |
| Positive reviews | **90.9% of reviews** | 73.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#76** |
| Size | 166 MB | 316 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **12.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Amasis Brauch](https://appshunter.io/developer/490625369) | [Trese Brothers](https://appshunter.io/developer/528949265) |

## What reviewers say

### Space Borders

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/space-borders-alien-encounter/id490625226)

Command a fleet of starships in a real-time strategy war against hostile aliens. Build your armada, harvest resources, and use tactical formations and superweapons to protect Earth and its colonies from annihilation.

**Highlights:** Real-time strategy gameplay, Build and customize fleet (15 ship types), Resource harvesting and upgrades, Tactical ship formations, Superweapons and special powers, Campaign, Survival, and Sandbox modes

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Conquest Mode | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Excellent RTS gameplay mechanics
- 💰 No pay-to-win or microtransactions
- 🎨 Charming 2D graphics and visual style
- ⚙️ Deep fleet customization options
- 📱 Works smoothly on older devices

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes during missions
- 💾 No save/checkpoint system for long missions
- 🎨 Cartoony graphics in newer versions
- 🤖 Poor AI behavior
- ⏱️ Missions are very long without breaks

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes mid-mission with no progress recovery
- Save file corruption and rollback after updates
- Mission failure without clear cause or visibility
- Resource disappearance between campaign episodes
- Harvester ships launching into enemy fire

**Requested features**

- Multiplayer or online gameplay
- Sequel or major expansion
- Additional campaign missions and episodes
- More ship types and varieties
- More turret and weapon options


### Star Traders

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/star-traders-frontiers/id1442583232)

**Currently charting:** #76 Top Paid · Role Playing, #126 Top Paid · Strategy (US App Store)

Command your own starship and crew in a vast, procedurally generated open universe. Forge your path as a pirate, merchant, bounty hunter, or explorer, influencing factions and shaping your crew through your choices in this epic sci-fi RPG.

**Highlights:** Open universe exploration, Multiple captain careers (26 jobs), Spaceship customization (350+ upgrades), Crew assembly and talent management, Dynamic narrative and faction influence, Crew molding based on player choices, Varied difficulty options including permadeath

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 Impressive depth and complexity
- 🌍 Vast open-world with endless possibilities
- 🔍 Engaging story and lore
- 🤖 Diverse gameplay options (trading, exploration, combat, etc.)
- 🕹️ Satisfying ship and crew management

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤔 Steep learning curve, lacks clear tutorials
- 🔍 Repetitive or tedious aspects in late game
- 📱 UI/UX issues on smaller mobile devices
- 🎲 Frustrating RNG elements and difficulty spikes
- 🔒 Lack of cloud save functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Crew combat screen UI issues causing accidental input
- Reputation/faction system bugs leading to unexpected outcomes
- Crashes and freezes when navigating certain screens
- Inconsistent behavior with ship component upgrades

**Requested features**

- Ability to customize ship colors and appearances
- Option to command/control multiple ships as a fleet
- More end-game content and progression systems
- Improved UI scaling and optimization for larger screens
- Cloud save/sync functionality across devices


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Space Borders free?

Space Borders costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Star Traders free?

Star Traders costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Space Borders or Star Traders?

Space Borders is rated higher. Space Borders averages 4.7 out of 5 from 167 ratings, while Star Traders averages 4.6 from 674 ratings.

### Do Space Borders or Star Traders have ads?

Neither Space Borders nor Star Traders shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Space Borders or Star Traders?

Space Borders ships an update every 2 months, and Star Traders every 3 weeks. Most recently, Space Borders was updated on November 1, 2026 and Star Traders on November 6, 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.*