Comparison

Space Defender vs Sea Drifter

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

Head to head
About

Space Defender

Features
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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: โ€ข 3D combat, lighting effects and layered explosions โ€ข One-finger controls built for portrait play โ€ข 12 weapons, 3 mounting slots and permanent hangar upgrades โ€ข 7 ships and 7 free color schemes โ€ข 3 satellite roles and weapon-link bonuses โ€ข Enemy formations, elites and bosses with combat phases โ€ข Daily missions, Game Center leaderboards, music and haptics on supported devices Choose your loadout, launch and chase a new wave record.

About

Sea Drifter

Features
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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€” โ€ข One persistent ship, six keel configurations, dozens of fittings and relics โ€ข Fog-of-war Sea Chart, treasure maps that lead to real dug-up gold, live waypoints โ€ข Arcade sailing โ€” thrust, drag, turn, ram โ€ข Day/night, dynamic weather and wind โ€ข Code-composed music and ~20 synthesized sound effects โ€ข Local save; autosaves on docking, after expeditions, and on a timer โ€ข No ads. No in-app purchases. No tracking.

Screenshots

Space Defender4 screens
Sea Drifter4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

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

Scorecard3 real differences ยท 3 level
Space Defender versus Sea Drifter: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpace DefenderSea Drifter
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsโ€”
AdsYesNo โ€” better
In-app purchasesYesNo โ€” better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod โ€” better
Requires iOS26.015.6 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size38 MB66 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperPiotr OzogULF SIMON VICTOR ANDERSSON

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Space Defender

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$0.99
None

Sea Drifter

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Space Defender free?
Space Defender is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Sea Drifter free?
Sea Drifter is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Space Defender or Sea Drifter have ads?
Space Defender shows ads; Sea Drifter does not.

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