Comparison

Operation vs Squadaga

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

Head to head
About

Operation

Pilot a spaceship to defend Earth from an alien invasion. Dodge enemy ships, collect star dust for points, and use onboard weapons to defeat the xenomorphs and save humanity.

Highlights
  • Spaceship combat
  • Alien invasion defense
  • Dodge enemy ships
  • Collect star dust
  • Use onboard weapons
Features
Read full description

In the distant future, Earth was attacked by an alien enemy known as xenomorphs. They used their technology to infiltrate Earth and take over. However, a hero emerged who decided to defend his planet. He gathered a team of other survivors and went into space to find a way to defeat the aliens. Our hero pilots a spaceship and must destroy enemies using various weapons on board. The player's goal is to protect Earth from alien invasion and save humanity. Rules: dodge collisions with alien ships, earn 5 points for each maneuver. Star dust clouds are our helpers โ€“ they help us hide from the aliens, and you get 30 points for flying through them.

About

Squadaga

Features
Read full description

Defeating enemies is only the beginning. Capture them, recruit them, and fight together! SQUADAGA is a retro pixel shooter built around a unique capture system. โ–  CAPTURE & SQUAD Collect capture items dropped by defeated enemies to convert them into allies. Allies fight alongside you automatically, and the right combination triggers powerful formation skills. โ–  16 SHIPS Fighter, Tank, Speed, Capture โ€” 16 ships derived from 4 base types. Each has unique stats and an ultimate ability. โ–  FORMATION SKILLS Pierce Laser, Bullet Storm, Healing Wave, Omega Strike, and more โ€” 6 formation skills that auto-charge when your squad meets the right conditions. โ–  ULTIMATE ABILITIES Every 10 waves, gain an ultimate charge to turn the tide. Each ship type unleashes a different devastating ability. โ–  CHALLENGE & COMPETE - Endless waves and bosses that grow stronger - Global leaderboard - Daily challenges with unique modifiers - 50+ achievements to unlock โ–  DIVERSE ENEMIES From Beetles, Squids, Moths, and Scarabs to Bombers, Splitters, Teleporters, and Healers. Elite variants and 5 boss types await. โ–  PROGRESSION Spend coins earned in battle on permanent upgrades. Damage, fire rate, shield duration, magnet range, and more โ€” 15 upgrades to master. Retro pixel art ร— chiptune soundtrack ร— strategic capture mechanics. Assemble your squad and launch into space!

Screenshots

Operation4 screens
Squadaga4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Operation at none against Squadaga's shown. Squadaga's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly daily. Both last shipped on October 1, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences ยท 5 level
Operation versus Squadaga: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOperationSquadaga
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews100.0% of reviewsโ€”
Update frequencyDailyDaily
AdsNo โ€” betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeโ€”
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod โ€” better
Requires iOS15.613.0 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size12 MB121 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperBoris KravchenkoTaehyung Kim

In-app purchases

None

Operation

No in-app purchases

None

Squadaga

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Operation free?
Operation is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Squadaga free?
Squadaga is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Operation or Squadaga have ads?
Squadaga shows ads; Operation does not.
Which is updated more often, Operation or Squadaga?
Operation ships an update daily, and Squadaga daily. Most recently, Operation was updated on October 1, 2026 and Squadaga on October 1, 2026.

Other comparisons