Comparison

Element vs Star Traders

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

Head to head
About

Element

Engage in a visually stunning space strategy game designed for busy players. Mine resources, build units, and battle enemies to escape a decaying solar system and reach new frontiers.

Highlights
  • Real-time strategy gameplay
  • Space exploration and combat
  • Resource mining and management
  • Unit building and deployment
  • Visually stunning graphics
  • Accessible for short play sessions
Features
Read full description

Element is a realtime strategy space game for people who don't have time to play realtime strategy space games. Home no longer provides a means to survive. A fight for resources to escape our system has begun. The future lies beyond… Element is a visually stunning realtime strategy space game with a focus on sharp, accessible gameplay. Element is for lovers of beautifully crafted, original looking games. It is for people who are into space and strategy games but don’t have hours of time to invest. It’s also for gamers who enjoy launching missiles and blowing things up :) You are escaping a decaying solar system. You must visit each planet, mine enough element, and defeat the enemy to progress to the outer planets and beyond. Generate energy, mine element, build attack and defense units, and destroy the enemy while maintaining a balance between earth, air and water. Element A Flightless Game by John O'Reilly & Greg Harding. © 2014-2018 Flightless Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Available for iPhone, iPad, and MacOS. http://elementgame.com http://www.flightless.co.nz http://twitter.com/flightlessnz element@flightless.co.nz

About

Star Traders

Command your own starship and crew in a vast, procedurally generated open universe. Forge your path as a pirate, merchant, bounty hunter, or explorer, influencing factions and shaping your crew through your choices in this epic sci-fi RPG.

Highlights
  • Open universe exploration
  • Multiple captain careers (26 jobs)
  • Spaceship customization (350+ upgrades)
  • Crew assembly and talent management
  • Dynamic narrative and faction influence
  • Crew molding based on player choices
  • Varied difficulty options including permadeath
Features
Read full description

You are the captain of a starship venturing through a massive open universe. Customize your crew and take command at the helm of your very own ship as you explore a galaxy torn apart by internal strife, alien threats, and political intrigue. Command your ship and crew as a space pirate, merchant, bounty hunter, and more in Star Traders: Frontiers – an epic space RPG from Trese Brothers Games. Venture forth into a massive open universe, rich with adventure and the lore of the Star Traders. Choose your path by assembling and commanding your custom crew and spaceship in a constantly evolving galaxy torn by internal strife, political intrigue, and alien threats. Will you fly as a pirate terrorizing shipping lanes, join the solar wars as a military captain, or track targets across the stars as a fearsome bounty hunter? - Explore a rich, open universe: Discover endless procedurally-generated galactic maps, meet unique characters, and take on enemies to conquer the galaxy! - Become an intergalactic captain: Take on the role of a spy, smuggler, explorer, pirate, merchant, bounty hunter, and more (26 jobs total)! - Customize your own spaceship: Choose from more than 350 upgrades and 45 ship hulls to build your very own vessel to venture across the vast reaches of space. - Assemble and tailor a loyal crew: Assign talents and equip specialized gear for every spaceship crew member. - Experience an ever-changing narrative: Decide to make friends or foes with other factions and influence political, economic, and personal vendettas. - Mold the crew by your choices: As you make decisions and set the tone for your ship, your crew will grow and change to match. Destroy enemy ships with all hands on deck and your crew will become more bloodthirsty and savage. Explore distant worlds and loot dangerous wastelands and your crew will become intrepid and clever ... or scarred and half-mad. - Varied Difficulty Options! play with save slots to try out different builds or storylines or turn on character permadeath and enjoy classic roguelike experience - Achievement Unlocks: accomplish story and challenge goals to unlock additional optional (but not better) content like new starting ships and new starting contacts First there was the Exodus – when survivors of a great war left the ruins of the Galactic Core behind in search of a new home in the stars. Scattered worlds were claimed on the fringe of the galaxy. Each pocket of survivors held on to an isolated set of worlds while trying to rebuild under the great law of Shalun. Three centuries later, technology has brought them back together again. Discovery of the hyperwarp has bridged what was once an unimaginable distance between far-flung colonies, long-lost families, and political factions. With that reunification has come great economic prosperity. The hyperwarp reestablished the transportation of cargo, goods, and technologies between the quadrants – but it has also brought great strife. Political rivalries have been rekindled, blood has been shed in age-old feuds, and the fires of war have been stoked. Amidst the political infighting, a ruthless revolution is rising – and the fervent explorers of the hyperwarp have awoken something that was better left asleep. Our very first game, Star Traders RPG, took hundreds of thousands of gamers on an interstellar adventure. Star Traders’ success and overwhelmingly positive reception helped to launch Trese Brothers Games. It was the adventures of our community’s star-crossed captains that put us on a trajectory to share more of our worlds, ideas, and dreams. We set out to capture the loneliness, bravery, and camaraderie of people living together in a spaceship sailing across the stars. It is with great pride that after releasing four other games in the Star Traders universe, we’ve created a sequel to the original Star Traders RPG. Step onto the bridge of your starship, take to the stars, and create your own story in Star Traders: Frontiers.

Screenshots

Element4 screens
Star Traders4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Star Traders at every 3 weeks against Element's every 10 months. Star Traders also leads on chart position (#28 vs unranked). Element's advantage is price ($1.99 vs $6.99) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 12.1). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads 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

Element costs $1.99 and Star Traders $6.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Element against 4.6 for Star Traders. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 474 and 668 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 72% and 73% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Element ships an update every 10 months, Star Traders every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Element versus Star Traders: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterElementStar Traders
Price$1.99 — better$6.99
Rating4.6 (474 ratings)4.6 (668 ratings)
Positive reviews72.4% of reviews73.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings474668 — better
Update frequencyEvery 10 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank—#28 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS10.0 — better12.1
Further details — not scored
Size139 MB316 MB
Age rating9+12+
DeveloperFlightlessTrese Brothers

Customer experience

Element

All ratings474 ratings
Positive93.5%
Neutral2.7%
Negative3.8%
Written reviews58 reviews
Positive72.4%
Neutral6.9%
Negative20.7%

Star Traders

All ratings668 ratings
Positive88.8%
Neutral2.7%
Negative8.5%
Written reviews216 reviews
Positive73.1%
Neutral6.9%
Negative19.9%

User reviews

Element

From 474 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎮 Fun and engaging gameplay mechanics
  • 🎨 Beautiful minimalist low-poly graphics
  • 🧠 Strategic depth with simple learning curve
  • ⚡ Quick, bite-sized gaming sessions
  • 🎯 Intuitive controls and UI design

Room to improve

  • ⏱️ Extremely short campaign (4 hours completion)
  • 🔄 Repetitive gameplay after initial planets
  • 💰 Expensive for content length ($5 price point)
  • ⚙️ Tracking and progress system doesn't work properly
  • 🎮 Unbalanced gameplay - can destroy enemy base instantly

Star Traders

From 668 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🌟 Impressive depth and complexity
  • 🌍 Vast open-world with endless possibilities
  • 🔍 Engaging story and lore
  • 🤖 Diverse gameplay options (trading, exploration, combat, etc.)
  • 🕹️ Satisfying ship and crew management

Room to improve

  • 🤔 Steep learning curve, lacks clear tutorials
  • 🔍 Repetitive or tedious aspects in late game
  • 📱 UI/UX issues on smaller mobile devices
  • 🎲 Frustrating RNG elements and difficulty spikes
  • 🔒 Lack of cloud save functionality

Bugs and requests

Element

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Progress tracking doesn't register completed mines
  • Game crashes frequently on iPad Pro M1
  • Purchase transaction issues and money deduction without delivery
  • UI text too small on iPhone XR and newer models
  • Tutorial doesn't adequately explain mechanics

Requested features

12 requests
  • Multiplayer/PvP mode
  • More levels and planets
  • Random world generator or sandbox mode
  • Local co-op gameplay
  • Skirmish/custom difficulty modes
Show 7 more
  • Infinite/survival mode
  • Alien races or unique planet variants
  • Sequel or prequel
  • Bonus missions for capturing all mines
  • Special upgrades for captured planet ores
  • Larger UI text scaling for iPhone
  • Post-game content or endless mode

Star Traders

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Crew combat screen UI issues causing accidental input
  • Reputation/faction system bugs leading to unexpected outcomes
  • Crashes and freezes when navigating certain screens
  • Inconsistent behavior with ship component upgrades

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to customize ship colors and appearances
  • Option to command/control multiple ships as a fleet
  • More end-game content and progression systems
  • Improved UI scaling and optimization for larger screens
  • Cloud save/sync functionality across devices

In-app purchases

None

Element

No in-app purchases

None

Star Traders

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Element free?
Element costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Star Traders free?
Star Traders costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Element or Star Traders?
Element and Star Traders are both rated 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store, from 474 and 668 ratings respectively.
Do Element or Star Traders have ads?
Neither Element nor Star Traders shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Element or Star Traders?
Element ships an update every 10 months, and Star Traders every 3 weeks. Most recently, Element was updated on September 24, 2026 and Star Traders on September 24, 2026.

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