# Space Borders vs Crying Suns

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Crying Suns at none against Space Borders's 1. Crying Suns also leads on ratings volume (2.1K vs 167) and chart position (#56 vs unranked). Space Borders's advantage is price ($1.99 vs $8.99) and review sentiment (91% vs 73%). On rating, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Space Borders costs $1.99 and Crying Suns $8.99 up front. Space Borders sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Crying Suns asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Space Borders against 4.8 for Crying Suns. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Crying Suns has 2.1K ratings behind it against 167, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 91% of Space Borders's written reviews are positive against 73% of Crying Suns's.

Space Borders ships an update every 2 months, Crying Suns monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Space Borders | Crying Suns |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$1.99** | $8.99 |
| Rating | [4.7 (167 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/space-borders-alien-encounter/id490625226/reviews) | **[4.8 (2.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crying-suns/id1511788295/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 167 | **2.1K** |
| Positive reviews | **90.9% of reviews** | 72.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#56** |
| Size | 166 MB | 1014 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Amasis Brauch](https://appshunter.io/developer/490625369) | [Alternative Shift](https://appshunter.io/developer/394617049) |

## 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


### Crying Suns

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crying-suns/id1511788295)

**Currently charting:** #56 Top Paid · Role Playing, #99 Top Paid · Strategy (US App Store)

Command a space fleet in a tactical rogue-lite inspired by classic sci-fi. Explore a procedurally generated universe, engage in strategic ship battles, and uncover a deep storyline across six chapters. Experience a rich narrative and atmospheric gameplay designed for mobile.

**Highlights:** Procedurally-generated space exploration, Tactical battleship and squadron fleet combat, Over 300 story events, Deep, 6-chapter storyline, Mobile-optimized interface

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fun gameplay
- 🌟 Amazing atmosphere and story
- 👍 Engaging combat system
- 💎 Great value for money

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Small text and UI elements
- 🔁 Repetitive gameplay and missions

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes when using certain ship abilities
- Crashes during end-of-chapter cutscenes
- Progression-blocking bugs preventing access to new content
- Inability to progress past specific story points due to crashes

**Requested features**

- Zoom functionality for combat screen
- Ability to play own music during gameplay
- Endless mode or sandbox option
- Improved tutorial to explain key mechanics


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Space Borders free?

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

### Is Crying Suns free?

Crying Suns costs $8.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Space Borders or Crying Suns?

Crying Suns is rated higher. Space Borders averages 4.7 out of 5 from 167 ratings, while Crying Suns averages 4.8 from 2.1K ratings.

### Do Space Borders or Crying Suns have ads?

Neither Space Borders nor Crying Suns shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Space Borders or Crying Suns?

Space Borders ships an update every 2 months, and Crying Suns monthly. Most recently, Space Borders was updated on October 14, 2026 and Crying Suns on October 19, 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.*