# Space Defender vs Starfall Vanguard

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Starfall Vanguard at none against Space Defender's 1. Starfall Vanguard also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 9 months) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Space Defender sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Starfall Vanguard asks for nothing beyond the download.

Space Defender ships an update every 9 months, Starfall Vanguard every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Space Defender | Starfall Vanguard |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 3 days** |
| Size | 38 MB | 24 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Piotr Ozog](https://appshunter.io/developer/548579634) | [Rick Conner](https://appshunter.io/developer/1888874888) |

## What reviewers say

### Space Defender

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/space-defender-galactic-war/id6757307496)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $0.99 | one-time |


### Starfall Vanguard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starfall-vanguard/id6806083032)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Space Defender free?

Space Defender is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Starfall Vanguard free?

Starfall Vanguard is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Space Defender or Starfall Vanguard have ads?

Both Space Defender and Starfall Vanguard show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Space Defender or Starfall Vanguard?

Space Defender ships an update every 9 months, and Starfall Vanguard every 3 days. Most recently, Space Defender was updated on October 18, 2026 and Starfall Vanguard on October 8, 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.*