Space Defender vs Tidal Orbit
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Space Defender
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Build your ship and survive the next wave of the enemy fleet. Space Defender: Galactic War brings arcade space combat into full 3D, with quick dodges, powerful weapons and bosses that change tactics mid-fight. Steer with one finger and see how far you can go. YOUR SHIP, YOUR ARSENAL Choose your main gun and wing weapons from 12 weapons. Combine lasers, missiles and cannons with an ion cannon, cryo lance or gravity well. Upgrade weapons to level 10 and preview their mounted models in the hangar before spending currency earned in play. EVERY RUN BUILDS PROGRESS Earn Scrap, return to the hangar and invest in permanent ship modules. Improve your hull, armor and firepower, then spend credits on upgrades during each run. Choose from 7 ships with different stat profiles and choose from 7 free color schemes for your ship and satellites. SATELLITES THAT FIGHT WITH YOU Build a support formation: Option mirrors your main weapon, Aegis intercepts incoming shots and Striker rams enemies. Pair satellite roles with matching weapons to activate extra effects. A GALAXY FULL OF THREATS Fight enemy formations, kamikazes, snipers, minelayers and elite opponents. Face bosses that switch to more aggressive phases as their health drops. Discover 5 sector themes filled with nebulae, planets and varied backdrops. RETURN FOR NEW CHALLENGES Take on 3 daily missions to earn Scrap and crystals. Pick up laser, spread shot, missile and rapid-fire power-ups. Compare your wave and experience scores on Game Center leaderboards. Key features: • 3D combat, lighting effects and layered explosions • One-finger controls built for portrait play • 12 weapons, 3 mounting slots and permanent hangar upgrades • 7 ships and 7 free color schemes • 3 satellite roles and weapon-link bonuses • Enemy formations, elites and bosses with combat phases • Daily missions, Game Center leaderboards, music and haptics on supported devices Choose your loadout, launch and chase a new wave record.
Tidal Orbit
A one-button arcade game where players control an orb's momentum by tapping to switch its gravitational pull. Navigate through five distinct worlds, each with unique visuals, and utilize a "start from" feature to resume progress. The game offers simple controls, offline play, and no account requirements.
- One-button controls
- Momentum-based gameplay
- Five distinct worlds
- Progress saving
- Offline play
- No account required
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Tidal Orbit is a one-button arcade game about momentum. Your orb is pulled between two forces — tap to flip which one has you. That's the whole control. But the orb swings like a pendulum, so every tap is a commitment. Climb through five orbitals, each a different world to discover. Reach one and you can Start From it next time — pick up your journey where you left off. • One-button, pick-up-and-play controls • Five distinct worlds • Hand-built space visuals • Earn coins, continue your run • Plays fully offline. No accounts. Simple to learn. Hard to put down.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Tidal Orbit at none against Space Defender's 1. Tidal Orbit also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 9 months). On price and device support 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
Both are free to download. Space Defender sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Tidal Orbit asks for nothing beyond the download.
Space Defender ships an update every 9 months, Tidal Orbit every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Space Defender | Tidal Orbit |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (10 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 10 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | Every 4 weeks — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 38 MB | 21 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Piotr Ozog | MARCUS ARCILLA SCHAEFER |
In-app purchases
Space Defender
- Remove Ads$0.99
Tidal Orbit
No in-app purchases









