Comparison

MarsBrowser vs Crest Browser

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

MarsBrowser

A fast and private web browser offering built-in ad and tracker blocking. It provides optional AI tools for summarizing and explaining web pages, along with flexible tab organization features like Spaces and split view.

Highlights
  • Built-in ad and tracker blocking
  • Optional AI tools for page summarization
  • Flexible tab organization with Spaces
  • Split view and multiple windows
  • On-device content blocking
  • Private tabs and download saving
Features
Read full description

Mars is a fast, focused browser with powerful protection, flexible tab organization, and optional AI tools built around the page you are viewing. CLEANER BROWSING Built-in blocking helps stop ads, trackers, popups, and supported video ads without an extra extension. AI BESIDE THE PAGE Optional AI tools can summarize, explain, and help with the page you are viewing. Features are used only when you invoke them and may require an eligible Mars plan. ROOM FOR EVERY MISSION Keep work, research, and play separate with Spaces. On larger screens, use split view and multiple windows to keep related pages together. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Browse without a Mars account. Content blocking runs on-device, and your browsing history is stored locally by default. MORE OF THE WEB Save downloads, use private tabs, and choose your preferred search engine. SUBSCRIPTIONS AND TERMS Some features require an optional monthly Mars subscription. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel them in your Apple Account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://marbrowser.com/privacy - Support URL: https://marbrowser.com/support - Marketing URL (optional): https://marbrowser.com

About

Crest Browser

Organize your online life with distinct browsing contexts for work, personal use, and private browsing. Each context has its own tabs, history, and data, ensuring a clean separation of your digital activities.

Highlights
  • Isolated browsing contexts (Spaces)
  • Separate tabs, history, and cookies per Space
  • Customizable Space identity
  • Focused sidebar for tabs and history
  • Peek for temporary link previews
  • Optional iCloud sync
Features
Read full description

Work, personal life, and everything between deserve their own Space. Crest is a native browser for iPhone and iPad that keeps your accounts separate, your tabs organized, and your browsing distinctly yours. KEEP YOUR ACCOUNTS SEPARATE Each Space has its own tabs, cookies, website data, history, passwords, and site permissions. Stay signed in to different accounts on the same website. Switch from work to personal browsing without carrying the wrong session with you. GIVE EVERY TAB A PLACE Pin the sites you use every day. Save pages in folders. Keep today's tabs close and completed work in the archive. Select and move tabs, folders, and Split View groups together. On iPhone, bring in the sidebar with a gesture; on iPad, keep it beside your page. MAKE IT YOUR OWN Start from Winter, Lion, or another template in Crest Studio, then choose a color for each part of the crest and the sidebar. Choose a crest, emoji, monogram, or symbol. Appearance settings adjust the window border, sidebar material, tab corners, borders, and default page zoom. KEEP RELATED PAGES TOGETHER Group two to four pages in Split View. On iPad, browse them side by side and resize the columns. On iPhone, swipe across the compact toolbar to move between pages in the group. Peek lets you check supported links without losing your place, then keep the page as a tab when you need it. TOOLS FOR EVERYDAY BROWSING Choose one default search for every Space and another for Private Browsing, or pick one for a single Space. Search from a new tab to find the pages and tabs you use most. Translate webpages on device with Apple's Translation framework. Read supported articles in Reader, find text on a page, adjust zoom, share links, and export pages. Content blocking and site permissions give you control over each Space. Language availability varies, and translation may require a language download. PRIVATE WHEN YOU NEED IT Private Browsing uses temporary website storage. Private tabs stay out of saved history, restoration, archive, and sync. Crest does not run an advertising SDK, collect browsing analytics, or require a Crest account. PICK UP ON ANOTHER DEVICE Optional iCloud sync keeps supported Space and tab organization available across your Apple devices through your private iCloud database. Crest is also available for Mac. Crest is free and open source, built with Apple's WebKit. Requires iOS 26.1 or iPadOS 26.1 or later. Some website features and integrations vary by device.

Screenshots

MarsBrowser4 screens
Crest Browser4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: MarsBrowser at 100% against Crest Browser's 25%. MarsBrowser also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.0) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 weeks). Crest Browser's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (17 vs 5). On price, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. MarsBrowser sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Crest Browser asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

MarsBrowser holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 17 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of MarsBrowser's written reviews are positive against 25% of Crest Browser's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MarsBrowser ships an update every 2 days, Crest Browser every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
MarsBrowser versus Crest Browser: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMarsBrowserCrest Browser
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (5 ratings) — better4.0 (17 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better25.0% of reviews
Number of ratings517 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.6 — better26.1
Further details — not scored
Size227 MB73 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperKeyDataAIPaul Davis

Customer experience

MarsBrowser

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Crest Browser

All ratings11 ratings
Positive63.6%
Neutral18.2%
Negative18.2%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive25.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

MarsBrowser

Subscriptions2
  • Basic$0.991 Month
  • Mars Live$19.991 Month
None

Crest Browser

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is MarsBrowser free?
MarsBrowser is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Crest Browser free?
Crest Browser is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, MarsBrowser or Crest Browser?
MarsBrowser is rated higher. MarsBrowser averages 4.8 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Crest Browser averages 4.0 from 17 ratings.
Do MarsBrowser or Crest Browser have ads?
Neither MarsBrowser nor Crest Browser shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MarsBrowser or Crest Browser?
MarsBrowser ships an update every 2 days, and Crest Browser every 2 weeks. Most recently, MarsBrowser was updated on November 5, 2026 and Crest Browser on November 6, 2026.

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