Star Command vs Operation
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Star Command
Command your own starship, recruit and level up your crew, and explore a vast universe. Engage in tactical combat, manage ship roles, and make decisions that impact your journey through space.
- Build and command your starship
- Hire and level up crew members
- Explore the universe
- Defend against alien civilizations
- Tactical combat and ship management
- Multiple ship hull choices
- Discover alien species
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Build and command your own starship, hire your crew, and explore the universe, and defend against alien civilizations! Star Command™ Game Features - • Universal App - iPad and iPhone included. • Premium game - No In-App Purchase (IAP) roadblocks. • HD support for retina pixel goodness. • Level your crew members up and earn new skills. • Build a ship in your own image! • Four distinct ship hulls to choose from. • Focus on tactical, science or engineering. • Amazing soundtrack intensifies the action and exploration. • Over 10 alien species to discover. Brought to you in beautiful HD pixelated glory, Star Command™ brings to life the challenges and joys of managing a starship. Upgrade your ship, get out into the unknown and watch your crew die grizzly deaths all at your command. Strange and annoying alien civilizations await you at every turn. Manage each of your ships roles, focusing on science skills, tactical combat and ship engineering. Prevent alien invaders from taking over your ship and causing massive amounts of damage with sentry guns. Revive dying crew members with new rooms! And don’t forget that your decisions matter - an enemy made early could come back to haunt you later. If you're a fan of Star Wars and Star Trek, or if you enjoy games like XCOM, Clash of Clans, FTL, or Pixel Starships, you'll love Star Command! ---------------------------- Featured Reviews - "...equal parts challenging and clever, making it a must-play for sci-fi strategy fans." - Maclife "A great mobile space romp which adopts a great theme, great gameplay and will keep you busy for quite a few hours..." - AndroidSpin "With hilarious, self-aware satire and surprisingly deep tactical gameplay, this long-awaited adventure is a must-play for any sci-fi fan and a love letter to all things Star Trek." - Editors' Choice "If you're looking for a strategy title on the iOS that will keep you on your toes, Star Command should more than suffice." - Appspy "Should you dive in immediately? Absolutely." - TouchArcade ---------------------------- Star Command © 2011 Warballoon, LLC (formerly Star Command, LLC). STAR COMMAND and related marks and logos are trademarks of Warballoon, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy: https://www.starcommandgame.com/privacy-apple.html
Operation
Defend Earth from a massive alien invasion in this sci-fi multiplayer strategy game. Build your base, raise an army, and command powerful heroes to retake the planet. Form alliances and engage in real-time faction wars against both aliens and hostile humans.
- Build and upgrade military facility
- Train specialized army units
- Command and capture enemy heroes
- Chat, trade, and invite players
- Join alliances for strategic warfare
- Engage in real-time faction wars
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Earth. Your home, your memories, your family... All is fading under the colossal shadow of an attacking alien force. Jump into this intense sci-fi multiplayer strategy game. Command an advanced military facility to defend Earth from hostile alien invasion! Uncover advanced technology to infuse and reinforce your stronghold – you are Earth’s last protection against the invaders who are laying waste to the planet! Commander, it’s time to mobilize! Retake and defend the planet. Let no enemy, aliens or hostile humans, stand in your way! • CREATE YOUR BASE – Strategically build your facility by discovering new technologies to become a juggernaut of power. • RAISE AN ARMY - Train a massive army of specialized units including hi-tech infantry and cutting-edge war machines. • COMMAND YOUR HERO - Train an elite Hero unit for incredible advantages and bonuses, while attempting to defeat and capture enemy players’ Heroes in battle. • CHAT, TRADE, INVITE – Chat with other players, trade your resources and invite the strongest amongst your friends to defend Earth together. • JOIN AN ALLIANCE - Assemble an Alliance and strategize together to build a powerful network. • REAL TIME FACTION WARS – Join players around the world in massive battles. The Earth you once knew is growing dim, Commander. Hope is nearly lost. It’s time for Operation: New Earth. PLEASE NOTE that Operation: New Earth is completely free to play, however, optional in game items are available for purchase with real money. If you don’t want to use this feature, you can turn off the option by disabling in-app purchases in your device’s settings. A network connection is also required.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Operation at Free against Star Command's $2.99. Operation also leads on rating (4.2 vs 4.0). Star Command's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 22) and ads (none vs shown). On ratings volume, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Operation is free to download; Star Command costs $2.99 up front. Operation sells 22 one-off in-app purchases. Star Command asks for nothing beyond the download.
Operation holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 905 and 616 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 66% of Star Command's written reviews are positive against 53% of Operation's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Star Command ships an update every 10 days, Operation every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Star Command | Operation |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.0 (905 ratings) | 4.2 (616 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 66.1% of reviews — better | 52.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 905 — better | 616 |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days — better | Every 2 weeks |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Best chart rank | #114 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 101 MB | 262 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Star Command, LLC | Tilting Point LLC |
Customer experience
Star Command
Operation
User reviews
Star Command
From 905 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Amazing game
- 🚀 Fun and challenging gameplay
- 🚀 Great music and visuals
- 👍 No in-app purchases
- 👍 Replayability
Room to improve
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 🐛 UI issues (e.g. buttons off-screen)
- 🔍 Short story/content
- 🔍 Repetitive gameplay
- 🔍 Lack of updates/new content
Operation
From 616 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Addictive gameplay
- 👍 Enjoyable strategy elements
- 🤝 Good alliance system
- 💡 Potential for improvement
Room to improve
- 💰 Pay-to-win mechanics
- 🐛 Crashes and bugs
- 🕰️ Slow progression and long upgrade times
- 🤺 Bullying and imbalance between players
Bugs and requests
Star Command
Reported bugs
4 issues- Game crashes on startup
- Crew members getting stuck or lost
- Weapons/UI elements disappearing
- Progression/save data issues
Requested features
5 requests- More ships, rooms, and customization options
- Expanded story and missions
- Multiplayer and co-op modes
- Ability to board enemy ships
- Improved crew management and AI
Operation
Reported bugs
3 issues- Frequent crashes and connection issues
- Inability to update or download new versions
- Glitches with UI and in-game mechanics
Requested features
4 requests- Improved shielding and protection options
- Expanded map and zoom functionality
- Better resource production and gathering
- More balanced matchmaking and region merges
In-app purchases
Star Command
No in-app purchases
Operation
- Bronze Supply Drop$0.99
- Iron Supply Drop$1.99
- Ultimate Starter Bundle$2.99
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- Gold Supply Drop$2.99
- Bronze Shard Bundle$9.99
- Epic Bronze Booster Pack$9.99
- Growth Bundle$24.99
- Silver Shard Bundle$29.99
- Gold Shard Bundle$49.99
- Platinum Shard Bundle$99.99
- Platinum Hero Equipment Pack$99.99
- Platinum Invader Pack$99.99
- Platinum Launcher Pack$99.99
- Platinum Interceptor Pack$99.99
- Platinum Cyber Bundle$99.99
- Platinum Behemoth Pack$99.99
- Platinum Mobile Cannon Pack$99.99
- Platinum Battle Disc Pack$99.99
- Platinum Covert Agent Pack$99.99
- Platinum Attack Rover Pack$99.99
- Platinum Falcon Pack$99.99
- Platinum Heavy Mech Bundle$99.99






