# iTichu vs Terraforming Mars

The clearest difference is price: iTichu at Free against Terraforming Mars's $8.99. iTichu also leads on review sentiment (86% vs 45%) and rating (5.0 vs 4.5). Terraforming Mars's advantage is ratings volume (7.6K vs 10) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

iTichu is free to download; Terraforming Mars costs $8.99 up front. Terraforming Mars sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. iTichu asks for nothing beyond the download.

iTichu holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Terraforming Mars has 7.6K ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of iTichu's written reviews are positive against 45% of Terraforming Mars's.

iTichu ships an update every 2 months, Terraforming Mars every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iTichu | Terraforming Mars |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $8.99 |
| Rating | **[5.0 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/itichu/id866990401/reviews)** | [4.5 (7.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/terraforming-mars/id1353471030/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 10 | **7.6K** |
| Positive reviews | **85.7% of reviews** | 45.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#35** |
| Size | 6 MB | 353 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Spyridon Zarzonis](https://appshunter.io/developer/840387085) | [Twin Sails Interactive](https://appshunter.io/developer/1135862620) |

## What reviewers say

### iTichu

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/itichu/id866990401)

Easily track scores and statistics for Tichu games without needing pen and paper. Features include quick score submission, round undo, detailed round scores, game statistics, customizable team names and score limits, and automatic game saving.

**Highlights:** Score submission, Undo last round, Detailed round scores, Game statistics, Customizable team names, Automatic game saving

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Terraforming Mars

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/terraforming-mars/id1353471030)

**Currently charting:** #35 Top Paid · Board, #109 Top Paid · Strategy (US App Store)

Lead a corporation to terraform Mars by building cities, forests, and oceans. Manage resources, complete objectives, and increase your Terraform Rating to make the planet habitable. Compete against rivals and lead humanity into a new era.

**Highlights:** Official board game adaptation, Play against AI or up to 5 players, Online and offline multiplayer, Corporate Era variant, Solo challenge mode, Expansions available for new content

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Original Promo Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Terraforming Mars - Prelude | $3.99 | one-time |
| Hellas & Elysium | $3.99 | one-time |
| Venus Next | $3.99 | one-time |
| Colonies | $3.99 | one-time |
| Big Box Promo Pack | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Faithful adaptation of board game
- 👍 Great UI and animations
- 🕹️ Smooth solo gameplay
- 💰 Good value for money

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🕹️ Unreliable multiplayer experience
- 🕰️ Long load times to resume games
- 🤯 Confusing multiplayer features
- 🤖 Weak AI opponents

**Reported bugs**

- Science tags not counted properly
- Power infrastructure card not functioning
- Inability to place tiles in some cases
- Saved games not loading properly

**Requested features**

- Undo button for actions
- Ability to see final game metrics
- Notifications for turn updates
- Ability to track win/loss records
- More expansion content


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iTichu free?

iTichu is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Terraforming Mars free?

Terraforming Mars costs $8.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, iTichu or Terraforming Mars?

iTichu is rated higher. iTichu averages 5.0 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while Terraforming Mars averages 4.5 from 7.6K ratings.

### Do iTichu or Terraforming Mars have ads?

Neither iTichu nor Terraforming Mars shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, iTichu or Terraforming Mars?

iTichu ships an update every 2 months, and Terraforming Mars every 3 weeks. Most recently, iTichu was updated on November 1, 2026 and Terraforming Mars on November 7, 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.*