# Celestial Assault vs Star Thunder

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Celestial Assault at 85% against Star Thunder's 38%. Celestial Assault also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (6.0 vs 15.0). Star Thunder's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 3.8) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Celestial Assault sells 8 one-off in-app purchases and Star Thunder sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Star Thunder holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Star Thunder has 70 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 85% of Celestial Assault's written reviews are positive against 38% of Star Thunder's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Celestial Assault ships an update every 2 months, Star Thunder fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Celestial Assault | Star Thunder |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.8 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/celestial-assault/id521598347/reviews) | **[4.5 (70 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/star-thunder-space-shooter/id1535468023/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **70** |
| Positive reviews | **85.0% of reviews** | 37.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 105 MB | 544 MB |
| Requires iOS | **6.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Lucid Vision Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/379877655) | [Yu Le Lin](https://appshunter.io/developer/401510323) |

## What reviewers say

### Celestial Assault

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/celestial-assault/id521598347)

Engage in a retro-style side-scrolling space shooter with RPG elements. Upgrade your ship's weapons and attributes by destroying enemies, collecting items, and gaining experience. Complete missions with star ratings for a challenging and replayable experience.

**Highlights:** Side-scrolling space shooter gameplay, RPG style character leveling, Stackable weapons, 30 unique missions with boss fights, Challenging and diverse gameplay, Replayability with difficulty settings, Purchaseable shortcuts and add-ins

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| $10,000 Gold | $0.99 | one-time |
| Attribute Point | $0.99 | one-time |
| Attribute Reset | $0.99 | one-time |
| Advanced Stacking | $1.99 | one-time |
| Deep Space Mission Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Advanced Ranks | $2.99 | one-time |
| $50,000 Gold | $2.99 | one-time |
| 5 Attribute Points | $2.99 | one-time |


### Star Thunder

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/star-thunder-space-shooter/id1535468023)

Engage in thrilling PVP shoot'em up battles with stunning graphics and heavy metal soundtracks. Pilot super fighters, collect wingmen, and build powerful fleets to conquer the galaxy in this unique multiplayer experience.

**Highlights:** PVP shoot'em up gameplay, Collect 9 super fighters with unique abilities, Recruit wingmen for combat assistance, Build fleets with 27 battleships, Command 9 motherships, Fight in diverse environments, Matchmaking and replay system

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 30 Gems | $1.99 | one-time |
| Starter's Special Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| 80 Gems | $4.99 | one-time |
| 170 Gems | $9.99 | one-time |
| 360 Gems | $19.99 | one-time |
| 950 Gems | $49.99 | one-time |
| 2000 Gems | $99.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Celestial Assault free?

Celestial Assault is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Star Thunder free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Celestial Assault or Star Thunder?

Star Thunder is rated higher. Celestial Assault averages 3.8 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Star Thunder averages 4.5 from 70 ratings.

### Do Celestial Assault or Star Thunder have ads?

Star Thunder shows ads; Celestial Assault does not.

### Which is updated more often, Celestial Assault or Star Thunder?

Celestial Assault ships an update every 2 months, and Star Thunder fortnightly. Most recently, Celestial Assault was updated on October 23, 2026 and Star Thunder on October 22, 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.*