# Mars Quest vs River Raiders

The clearest difference is price: Mars Quest at Free against River Raiders's $1.99. Mars Quest also leads on review sentiment (68% vs 50%) and ratings volume (91 vs 5). River Raiders's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.0) and in-app purchases (none vs 5). On device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Mars Quest is free to download; River Raiders costs $1.99 up front. Mars Quest sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. River Raiders asks for nothing beyond the download.

River Raiders holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mars Quest has 91 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 68% of Mars Quest's written reviews are positive against 50% of River Raiders's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Mars Quest ships an update fortnightly, River Raiders every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on September 9, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mars Quest | River Raiders |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $1.99 |
| Rating | [4.0 (91 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mars-quest-8-bit/id491304485/reviews) | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/river-raiders/id6756220586/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **91** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | **68.5% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 98 MB | 92 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [First Class Media B.V.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1394094946) | [Lost Leaf Studio](https://appshunter.io/developer/968418946) |

## What reviewers say

### Mars Quest

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mars-quest-8-bit/id491304485)

Embark on a challenging retro adventure guiding an astronaut through alien-infested Martian levels. Experience nostalgic 8-bit graphics and music while avoiding obstacles and increasing speed. Compete with friends via Game Center.

**Highlights:** 8-bit retro music, Guide astronaut through levels, Avoid aliens and obstacles, Smart level progression, Increasing speed challenges, Game Center scores and achievements

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Game Controller support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove advertising | $0.99 | one-time |
| 1 extra life | $0.99 | one-time |
| 5 extra lives | $1.99 | one-time |
| 10 extra lives | $2.99 | one-time |
| 25 extra lives | $4.99 | one-time |


### River Raiders

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/river-raiders/id6756220586)

Experience a modern take on classic arcade shooters. Navigate treacherous rivers, engage enemy forces, and manage fuel to survive increasingly challenging levels. Master precision flying and quick reactions to achieve the highest scores.

**Highlights:** Classic top-down jet combat, Responsive touchscreen controls, Fuel management for strategic gameplay, Progressive difficulty and unpredictable challenges, Offline play, Handcrafted maps inspired by classic era

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mars Quest free?

Mars Quest is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is River Raiders free?

River Raiders costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Mars Quest or River Raiders?

River Raiders is rated higher. Mars Quest averages 4.0 out of 5 from 91 ratings, while River Raiders averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.

### Do Mars Quest or River Raiders have ads?

Mars Quest shows ads; River Raiders does not.

### Which is updated more often, Mars Quest or River Raiders?

Mars Quest ships an update fortnightly, and River Raiders every 5 weeks. Most recently, Mars Quest was updated on September 9, 2026 and River Raiders on September 9, 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.*