# Astra Haven vs Shadow Merge

The clearest difference is ads: Astra Haven at none against Shadow Merge's shown. Astra Haven also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 4 days). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Astra Haven sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and Shadow Merge sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Astra Haven ships an update daily, Shadow Merge every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Astra Haven | Shadow Merge |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astra-haven-colony-command/id6787802384/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Daily** | Every 4 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 198 MB | 73 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **16.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Frau LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1877163161) | [Ozan Can OCAK](https://appshunter.io/developer/6807927872) |

## What reviewers say

### Astra Haven

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astra-haven-colony-command/id6787802384)

Engage in a sci-fi match-3 strategy game where matching energy cores fuels your colony's survival. Build and upgrade your command center, deploy tactical boosters, and complete missions to defend humanity's outposts. Enjoy hundreds of levels with increasing strategic challenges.

**Highlights:** Tactical match-3 gameplay, Colony base building and upgrades, Sci-fi missions, Tactical boosters, Daily and Weekly Operations, Hundreds of handcrafted levels, Offline play

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Flux Cache 400 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Flux Cache 2500 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Premium Pass | $4.99 | one-time |
| Flux Cache 5500 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Premium Bundle | $9.99 | one-time |
| Flux Cache 12000 | $19.99 | one-time |


### Shadow Merge

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadow-merge-tactics/id6814162040)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Shadow Merge Pro | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Astra Haven free?

Astra Haven is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Shadow Merge free?

Shadow Merge is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Astra Haven or Shadow Merge have ads?

Shadow Merge shows ads; Astra Haven does not.

### Which is updated more often, Astra Haven or Shadow Merge?

Astra Haven ships an update daily, and Shadow Merge every 4 days. Most recently, Astra Haven was updated on November 5, 2026 and Shadow Merge on October 31, 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.*