Comparison

Star Command vs Monster Rancher 2

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

Monster Rancher 2

Become a monster breeder and train unique creatures from music CDs. Develop their stats, manage their stress, and lead them to victory in exciting battles against other monsters. Aim to become the top breeder by winning official competitions.

Highlights
  • Acquire monsters from music CDs
  • Train monster stats and manage stress
  • Engage in monster battles with instructions
  • Participate in official competitions
  • Complete jobs for in-game currency
  • Approximately 400 monster types
Features
Read full description

◆◆ The biggest hit of the series “Monster Rancher 2” is FINALLY HERE! ◆◆ The second instalment of the legendary “Monster Rancher” series and the fan-favorite “Monster Rancher 2” features improved versions of the highly successful training and battle systems of the “Monster Rancher”,approximately 400 monster types, and brand-new events and mini-games! What kind of monster will be born from your favorite CD? Become a monster breeder now and train your monsters to participate in battle competitions! --------------------- ◆ Game Features ◆ --------------------- ▼ About “Monster Rancher 2” “Monster Rancher 2” is a monster training simulation game in which you become a monster breeder to create a variety of monsters from disc stones, train them, and make them fight against other monsters. The most unique feature of this game is the option to obtain new monsters from music CDs. Different CDs produce different monsters, including some very rare ones! ▼Aim to become a Master, the top monster breeder! ◇◇ Acquire your monsters ◇◇ Features a system that allows you to acquire monsters by searching through an original CD database! Discover what kind of monsters can be born from a variety of songs, from nostalgic to fresh new tracks, and raise the rare monsters that you couldn’t acquire during the original release! ◇◇ Develop a training menu from a variety of options ◇◇ All monster stats, such as their health, strength, and resilience, are directly affected by the work and training you put them through. And by praising and scolding their achievements, you can help them grow even further! But watch out for your monsters' stress levels! It’s also important to be attentive to their needs. There are even more ways to raise monsters than in the previous game, so it's time to show off your trainer skills! "Keep up the good work with your assistant, Colt, and your pet bird, Joy!" ◇◇ Take your monsters out to compete ◇◇ Once you've trained your monsters, register them for competitions and let them fight. During a fight, you can give your monster instructions to guide them to victory. But if their loyalty is low, they might not listen to you, so this is where the quality of your training comes into play. Win an official match to advance and aim to become an S Rank Monster Breeder! ◇◇ "Slates" and "Jobs" ◇◇ Slating and Jobs are also available just like in the original version. Slating is used to transfer your monsters from “Monster Rancher” to “Monster Rancher 2”. And Jobs are tasks your monsters can complete to earn money. Note: Slating is available only between the games on the same platform. ▼ Evolving from the original series Based on the feedback from the series fans, some of the most requested improvements have been incorporated into the game, making it more comfortable to play while maintaining the fun of the original. ▼ Compete against your rivals around the world! You can download monsters raised by breeders all over the world and battle them against your own monsters. Raise the strongest monsters and become the best monster breeder! ------------------------- ◆ Compatible Devices ◆ ------------------------- iPhone, iPod touch, iPad (Requires iOS 10.0 or later) ----------------- ◆ Disclaimer ◆ ----------------- 1. Please note that customer support will not be provided for not supported operating systems. 2. Depending on the usage, the application may become unstable, even on a compatible device. 3. Please note that the application may not support the latest version of the operating system, even if it is listed as "iOS XXX or higher". 4. Unless otherwise stated, the monsters created through the music database are assigned at the company's discretion, and there is no correlation between the artists and “Monster Rancher”. ■ Privacy policy https://www.koeitecmo.co.jp/privacy/PrivacyPolicy_en.pdf (C)KOEI TECMO GAMES CO.,LTD All rights reserved.

Screenshots

Star Command4 screens
Monster Rancher 24 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Star Command at $2.99 against Monster Rancher 2's $22.99. Star Command also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (905 vs 46). Monster Rancher 2's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 4.0) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.6). On review sentiment, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Star Command costs $2.99 and Monster Rancher 2 $22.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Monster Rancher 2 holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Star Command has 905 ratings behind it against 46, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 66% of Star Command's written reviews are positive against 73% of Monster Rancher 2's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Star Command ships an update every 10 days, Monster Rancher 2 every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Star Command versus Monster Rancher 2: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStar CommandMonster Rancher 2
Price$2.99 — better$22.99
Rating4.0 (905 ratings)4.5 (46 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.1% of reviews72.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings905 — better46
Update frequencyEvery 10 days — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#118 — better#132
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.69.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size101 MB591 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperStar Command, LLCKOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD.

Customer experience

Star Command

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

Monster Rancher 2

All ratings46 ratings
Positive87.0%
Neutral4.3%
Negative8.7%
Written reviews22 reviews
Positive72.7%
Neutral13.6%
Negative13.6%

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

Monster Rancher 2

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Star Command

No in-app purchases

None

Monster Rancher 2

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Star Command free?
Star Command costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Monster Rancher 2 free?
Monster Rancher 2 costs $22.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Star Command or Monster Rancher 2?
Monster Rancher 2 is rated higher. Star Command averages 4.0 out of 5 from 905 ratings, while Monster Rancher 2 averages 4.5 from 46 ratings.
Do Star Command or Monster Rancher 2 have ads?
Neither Star Command nor Monster Rancher 2 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Star Command or Monster Rancher 2?
Star Command ships an update every 10 days, and Monster Rancher 2 every 2 months. Most recently, Star Command was updated on September 26, 2026 and Monster Rancher 2 on September 24, 2026.
Which is more popular, Star Command or Monster Rancher 2?
Star Command currently peaks at #118 in the App Store charts, and Monster Rancher 2 at #132. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

Other comparisons