Space Defender vs Sea Drifter
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side โ 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: โข 3D combat, lighting effects and layered explosions โข One-finger controls built for portrait play โข 12 weapons, 3 mounting slots and permanent hangar upgrades โข 7 ships and 7 free color schemes โข 3 satellite roles and weapon-link bonuses โข Enemy formations, elites and bosses with combat phases โข Daily missions, Game Center leaderboards, music and haptics on supported devices Choose your loadout, launch and chase a new wave record.
Sea Drifter
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Sea Drifter is a 2D top-down ocean survival game about one named ship and the long voyage to rebuild her, from the Coastal Waters to the Forgotten Ocean. Sail out of Port Haven, plunder the cargo drifting on the tide, brave island expeditions, and out-sail โ or ram โ the pirates who want your hold. Everything you salvage goes back into the same vessel: six keel refits, fittings, relics and masteries that all carry forward. There is only ever one ship. She is yours to lose. โ SAIL A LIVING SEA โ A full day passes every five minutes: dawn gold, bright noon, amber dusk, deep blue night. Weather rolls between clear skies, rain, fog banks and storms, and the wind genuinely pushes your hull. Pirates see less far at night and in bad weather, so the dark hours are the sneaky hours. โ PLUNDER EVERYTHING โ Sail close and safe loot scoops itself: driftwood, scrap iron, rations, coin purses, crates, barrels, chests and rare glowing Gilded Caches that often carry a temporary boon. Sealed Cargo is a visible gamble โ smuggler's stash, booby trap or pirate bait โ that only opens on a deliberate tap. โ REBUILD ONE PERSISTENT SHIP โ Port Haven's shipyard lays your ship out as a blueprint. Tap a part โ keel, hull, sails, nets, cannon, spyglass โ to refit or upgrade it. Gold pays the shipwright; wood, iron, food and rare artifacts become permanent fittings. Founder's Keel โ Coastal โ Bluewater โ Deepwater โ War Keel โ Wayfinder. โ ISLANDS, OUTPOSTS & CONTRACTS โ Procedurally placed isles run a five-step rail: scout, clear, claim, outpost. Claimed islands produce on their own and ship the goods home. Harbormaster contracts, merchant escorts and treasure-fleet interceptions are always posted at the dock. โ HUNT THE ENDGAME โ Sink the Pirate King to claim the Heart of the Forgotten Ocean. Then the Drowned Court rises: three Ghost Admirals bound to fog, storm and midnight, a Drowned King in the Maelstrom, permanent trinkets, and New Voyage+ โ a fresh, tougher sea with your trophies carried over. โ SOLO OR CO-OP โ Play the whole voyage alone, or open your sea to friends on the same Wi-Fi for drop-in co-op. No account, no sign-up. Plays fully offline. โ AT A GLANCE โ โข One persistent ship, six keel configurations, dozens of fittings and relics โข Fog-of-war Sea Chart, treasure maps that lead to real dug-up gold, live waypoints โข Arcade sailing โ thrust, drag, turn, ram โข Day/night, dynamic weather and wind โข Code-composed music and ~20 synthesized sound effects โข Local save; autosaves on docking, after expeditions, and on a timer โข No ads. No in-app purchases. No tracking.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Sea Drifter at none against Space Defender's 1. Sea Drifter also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 26.0). On price 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
Both are free to download. Space Defender sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Sea Drifter asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | Space Defender | Sea Drifter |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | โ |
| Ads | Yes | No โ better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No โ better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod โ better |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 15.6 โ better |
| Further details โ not scored | ||
| Size | 38 MB | 66 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Piotr Ozog | ULF SIMON VICTOR ANDERSSON |
In-app purchases
Space Defender
- Remove Ads$0.99
Sea Drifter
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Space Defender free?
Is Sea Drifter free?
Do Space Defender or Sea Drifter have ads?
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