Comparison

Star Command vs Operation

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

Star Command4 screens
Operation4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Star Command versus Operation: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStar CommandOperation
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating4.0 (905 ratings)4.2 (616 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.1% of reviews — better52.7% of reviews
Number of ratings905 — better616
Update frequencyEvery 10 days — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#114 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size101 MB262 MB
Age rating12+9+
DeveloperStar Command, LLCTilting Point LLC

Customer experience

Star Command

All ratings905 ratings
Positive73.1%
Neutral8.7%
Negative18.1%
Written reviews833 reviews
Positive66.1%
Neutral13.1%
Negative20.8%

Operation

All ratings616 ratings
Positive80.5%
Neutral7.1%
Negative12.3%
Written reviews184 reviews
Positive52.7%
Neutral15.2%
Negative32.1%

User reviews

Star Command

From 905 App Store ratings

What 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 ratings

What 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

None

Star Command

No in-app purchases

22 purchases

Operation

One-time22
  • Bronze Supply Drop$0.99
  • Iron Supply Drop$1.99
  • Ultimate Starter Bundle$2.99
Show 19 more
  • 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

Questions

Is Star Command free?
Star Command costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Operation free?
Operation is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Star Command or Operation?
Operation is rated higher. Star Command averages 4.0 out of 5 from 905 ratings, while Operation averages 4.2 from 616 ratings.
Do Star Command or Operation have ads?
Operation shows ads; Star Command does not.
Which is updated more often, Star Command or Operation?
Star Command ships an update every 10 days, and Operation every 2 weeks. Most recently, Star Command was updated on September 26, 2026 and Operation on September 25, 2026.

Other comparisons