# Colony Attack vs Nova Empire

Colony Attack and Nova Empire both sit at 4.4 stars, but that hides the real split: 79% of Colony Attack's written reviews are positive against 47% of Nova Empire's. Colony Attack also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). Nova Empire's advantage is ratings volume (5.1K vs 208) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Colony Attack sells 7 one-off in-app purchases and Nova Empire sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Colony Attack against 4.3 for Nova Empire. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Nova Empire has 5.1K ratings behind it against 208, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 79% of Colony Attack's written reviews are positive against 47% of Nova Empire's.

Colony Attack ships an update every 3 months, Nova Empire every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Colony Attack | Nova Empire |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (208 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/colony-attack/id551555854/reviews)** | [4.3 (5.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nova-empire-space-wars-mmo/id1295555672/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 208 | **5.1K** |
| Positive reviews | **79.1% of reviews** | 46.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 96 MB | 1.8 GB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Geek Beach](https://appshunter.io/developer/392913144) | [GameBear Tech](https://appshunter.io/developer/1295555671) |

## What reviewers say

### Colony Attack

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/colony-attack/id551555854)

Build and command your own space colony, construct a powerful fleet, and engage in epic interstellar warfare. Explore a vast universe, battle pirates or other players, and forge alliances to achieve galactic dominance.

**Highlights:** Build spaceships, Develop colony buildings, Attack player and AI planets, Research new technologies, Explore the universe, Form alliances

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Nanites | $0.99 | one-time |
| Medium Nanites | $2.99 | one-time |
| Elite | $4.99 | one-time |
| Large Nanites | $9.99 | one-time |
| Huge Nanites | $19.99 | one-time |
| Speed Bundle | $28.99 | one-time |
| Massive Nanites | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great gameplay
- 👍 Addictive and fun
- 🚀 Excellent graphics
- 👍 Nostalgic feel
- 🚀 Engaging battles

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Pay-to-win mechanics
- 🐛 Lack of updates and new content
- 🐛 Imbalanced gameplay
- 🐛 Difficult for new players to progress
- 🐛 Repetitive and grindy

**Reported bugs**

- Inconsistent chat functionality
- Incorrect resource/time calculations

**Requested features**

- More ship variety and customization
- Improved battle mechanics and tactics
- Ability to protect/bank ships
- Expanded galaxy and exploration
- Better balancing between players


### Nova Empire

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nova-empire-space-wars-mmo/id1295555672)

Engage in epic galactic warfare with players worldwide in this next-generation online space strategy game. Build and customize your space station, design powerful fleets, and form alliances to conquer sectors of space. Experience real-time battles and strategic gameplay with stunning HD graphics.

**Highlights:** Real-time galactic battles, Alliance system for sector control, Fleet design and customization, Space station building, Recruit elite admirals, HD graphics and sound

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tiny Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Special Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Bonus Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Medium Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Ultra Pack | $14.99 | one-time |
| Large Pack | $19.99 | one-time |
| Prime Pack | $19.99 | one-time |
| Huge Pack | $49.99 | one-time |
| Epic Pack | $99.99 | one-time |
| Dominator Pack | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent graphics and gameplay
- 🔒 Secure and stable connection
- 👍 Engaging alliance and community features
- 🚀 Smooth progression for free-to-play players

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and connection issues
- ⏱️ Extremely long build/upgrade times
- 💰 Aggressive monetization and pay-to-win mechanics
- 🔒 Poor customer support and lack of responsiveness

**Reported bugs**

- Shields randomly deactivating during wars
- Disappearing ships and lost progress after crashes
- Inability to leave or switch alliances due to glitches

**Requested features**

- Ability to transfer resources between alliance members
- More diplomacy options between alliances
- Improved tutorial and onboarding for new players
- Larger and more diverse galaxy to explore


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Colony Attack free?

Colony Attack is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Nova Empire free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Colony Attack or Nova Empire?

Colony Attack is rated higher. Colony Attack averages 4.4 out of 5 from 208 ratings, while Nova Empire averages 4.3 from 5.1K ratings.

### Do Colony Attack or Nova Empire have ads?

Neither Colony Attack nor Nova Empire shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Colony Attack or Nova Empire?

Colony Attack ships an update every 3 months, and Nova Empire every 6 weeks. Most recently, Colony Attack was updated on October 24, 2026 and Nova Empire 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.*