# Pocket Mine vs Elite Space Trader

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Pocket Mine at 80% against Elite Space Trader's 0%. Pocket Mine also leads on price (Free vs $0.99) and rating (4.7 vs 1.0). Elite Space Trader's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ads (none vs shown). On device support there is nothing between them.

Pocket Mine is free to download; Elite Space Trader costs $0.99 up front. Pocket Mine sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Elite Space Trader asks for nothing beyond the download.

Pocket Mine holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pocket Mine has 2K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Pocket Mine's written reviews are positive against 0% of Elite Space Trader's.

Pocket Mine ships an update every 2 months, Elite Space Trader every 29 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pocket Mine | Elite Space Trader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $0.99 |
| Rating | **[4.7 (2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-mine/id585528957/reviews)** | [1.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elite-space-trader/id1506528705/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **80.4% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 29 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 173 MB | 0 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Roofdog Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/445060906) | [JOhn Lyons](https://appshunter.io/developer/571586394) |

## What reviewers say

### Pocket Mine

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-mine/id585528957)

Tap blocks to dig deep, uncover treasures, and trigger explosive chain reactions. Build a deck of booster cards to enhance your digging and unlock characters with special powers. Trade with friends to complete collections and earn rewards.

**Highlights:** Tap to dig deeper, Discover treasure chests and rare artifacts, Trigger explosive chain reactions, Build a deck of booster cards, Unlock characters with special powers, Trade with friends for rewards

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Novice Special Offer 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Small Pack of Rubies | $2.99 | one-time |
| Novice Special Offer 2 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Medium Pack of Rubies | $4.99 | one-time |
| Energy cap upgrade | $4.99 | one-time |
| Big Pack of Rubies | $9.99 | one-time |
| Expert Special Offer 1 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Huge Pack of Rubies | $19.99 | one-time |
| Mega Pack of Rubies | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Addictive and fun gameplay
- 🚀 Smooth and responsive
- 💡 Unique mining/digging concept
- 🎨 Appealing art style and music
- 🕹️ Simple yet challenging

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔋 Energy system limits playtime
- 💰 Aggressive monetization tactics
- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 🔑 Difficult to obtain keys/rubies
- 📤 Sync/progress issues after updates

**Reported bugs**

- Incorrect artifact/card rewards
- Prestige system resets progress
- Timed events not functioning properly
- Compatibility issues on older devices

**Requested features**

- More varied mine environments
- Ability to trade/gift artifacts
- Expanded progression system
- Reduced energy/cooldown times
- Improved artifact/card management


### Elite Space Trader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elite-space-trader/id1506528705)

Engage in a 2D space trading and combat simulation. Navigate between star systems, evade pirates, and raid ships for cargo while evading law enforcement. Choose your path between good and evil.

**Highlights:** 2D space trading, Space combat, Pirate evasion, Ship boarding, Cargo theft, Choice of good or evil path, Touch controls

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pocket Mine free?

Pocket Mine is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Elite Space Trader free?

Elite Space Trader costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Pocket Mine or Elite Space Trader?

Pocket Mine is rated higher. Pocket Mine averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2K ratings, while Elite Space Trader averages 1.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Pocket Mine or Elite Space Trader have ads?

Pocket Mine shows ads; Elite Space Trader does not.

### Which is updated more often, Pocket Mine or Elite Space Trader?

Pocket Mine ships an update every 2 months, and Elite Space Trader every 29 months. Most recently, Pocket Mine was updated on November 1, 2026 and Elite Space Trader on October 27, 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.*