# Stellar Mercenaries vs Astro Shock Zero

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Astro Shock Zero at none against Stellar Mercenaries's 9. Astro Shock Zero also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). Stellar Mercenaries's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.1). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Stellar Mercenaries sells 9 one-off in-app purchases. Astro Shock Zero asks for nothing beyond the download.

Stellar Mercenaries ships an update every 3 weeks, Astro Shock Zero weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Stellar Mercenaries | Astro Shock Zero |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (34 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stellar-mercenaries/id6446969323/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **34** | — |
| Positive reviews | 85.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 198 MB | 39 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Quest Builders LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1679888919) | [Pena](https://appshunter.io/developer/1473707001) |

## What reviewers say

### Stellar Mercenaries

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stellar-mercenaries/id6446969323)

Engage in offline, vertical scrolling arcade action with this sci-fi RPG. Upgrade your ship, weapons, and abilities to battle rival mercenaries and conquer the solar system. Enjoy endless procedurally generated missions with diverse objectives and challenges.

**Highlights:** Vertical scrolling arcade shooter, Offline capable gameplay, Upgradable ships and weapons, Customizable loadouts, Procedurally generated missions, Rival mercenary system

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Currency - Small Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack - Basic | $1.99 | one-time |
| Gem Pack - Small | $2.99 | one-time |
| Currency - Medium Pack | $3.99 | one-time |
| Stater Pack - Advanced | $5.99 | one-time |
| Gem Pack - Medium | $7.99 | one-time |
| Currency - Large Pack | $7.99 | one-time |
| Gem Pack - Large | $15.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack - Legendary | $15.99 | one-time |


### Astro Shock Zero

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astro-shock-zero/id6763540957)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Stellar Mercenaries free?

Stellar Mercenaries is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Astro Shock Zero free?

Astro Shock Zero is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Stellar Mercenaries or Astro Shock Zero have ads?

Astro Shock Zero shows ads; Stellar Mercenaries does not.

### Which is updated more often, Stellar Mercenaries or Astro Shock Zero?

Stellar Mercenaries ships an update every 3 weeks, and Astro Shock Zero weekly. Most recently, Stellar Mercenaries was updated on October 12, 2026 and Astro Shock Zero on October 2, 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.*