# Devil Shard vs Elite Space Trader

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Devil Shard at 84% against Elite Space Trader's 0%. Devil Shard also leads on rating (4.4 vs 1.0) and update cadence (every 7 months vs every 29 months). Elite Space Trader's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and price ($0.99 vs $1.99). On ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Devil Shard costs $1.99 and Elite Space Trader $0.99 up front. Devil Shard sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Elite Space Trader asks for nothing beyond the download.

Devil Shard holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Devil Shard has 45 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 84% of Devil Shard's written reviews are positive against 0% of Elite Space Trader's.

Devil Shard ships an update every 7 months, Elite Space Trader every 29 months. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Devil Shard | Elite Space Trader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **$0.99** |
| Rating | **[4.4 (45 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/devil-shard/id869735685/reviews)** | [1.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elite-space-trader/id1506528705/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **45** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **83.7% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 7 months** | Every 29 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 47 MB | 0 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | 12.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Game Stew](https://appshunter.io/developer/517689895) | [JOhn Lyons](https://appshunter.io/developer/571586394) |

## What reviewers say

### Devil Shard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/devil-shard/id869735685)

Embark on a retro-style match-3 RPG adventure to stop a war and face a great evil. Plan strategic combos, unlock powerful allies, and collect diverse equipment. Conquer numerous enemies and stages to uncover the truth and achieve a true ending.

**Highlights:** Match-3 puzzle with RPG elements, Strategic tile swapping for combos, Unlock and summon 9 incarnations, Collect and upgrade 32 equipment, Battle 37 different enemies, Complete 8 story stages and a hidden stage

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1000G | $0.99 | one-time |
| 2500G | $1.99 | one-time |
| 7500G | $4.99 | one-time |
| 17500G | $9.99 | one-time |
| 40000G | $19.99 | one-time |
| 75000G | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Addictive and engaging gameplay mechanics
- 🎨 Beautiful retro pixel art style
- 🎵 Great music and audio design
- ⚡ Simple yet challenging match-3 combat system
- 📱 Perfect for quick gaming sessions

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⚙️ Excessive grinding required for progression
- 💀 Harsh death penalty resets all character progress
- 💰 Pay-to-win mechanics and aggressive monetization
- 🎲 Heavy reliance on RNG and luck
- 😤 Unfair difficulty spikes in later dungeons

**Reported bugs**

- Item selection scroll problem on iPhone 6s Plus (items display in middle of screen)
- Unable to equip, melt, or forge items on certain devices
- In-app purchase functionality broken
- Character equipment not persisting correctly
- No undo option for melted items

**Requested features**

- Swipeable match-3 controls (standard for genre)
- More customization options for character progression
- Persistent progress or checkpoints upon death
- Better equipment distribution and tile spawning
- Reduced grinding requirements


### Elite Space Trader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elite-space-trader/id1506528705)

Engage in a 2D space trading and combat simulation. Navigate between star systems, evade pirates, and raid ships for cargo while evading law enforcement. Choose your path between good and evil.

**Highlights:** 2D space trading, Space combat, Pirate evasion, Ship boarding, Cargo theft, Choice of good or evil path, Touch controls

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Devil Shard free?

Devil Shard costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Elite Space Trader free?

Elite Space Trader costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Devil Shard or Elite Space Trader?

Devil Shard is rated higher. Devil Shard averages 4.4 out of 5 from 45 ratings, while Elite Space Trader averages 1.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Devil Shard or Elite Space Trader have ads?

Neither Devil Shard nor Elite Space Trader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Devil Shard or Elite Space Trader?

Devil Shard ships an update every 7 months, and Elite Space Trader every 29 months. Most recently, Devil Shard was updated on October 13, 2026 and Elite Space Trader on October 14, 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.*