# Celestial Assault vs Phoenix 2

The clearest difference is ads: Celestial Assault at none against Phoenix 2's shown. Celestial Assault also leads on iOS requirement (6.0 vs 15.0). Phoenix 2's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.3) and ratings volume (26K vs 3). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Celestial Assault sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Phoenix 2 sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Phoenix 2 holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Phoenix 2 has 26K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Celestial Assault's written reviews are positive against 73% of Phoenix 2's.

Celestial Assault ships an update every 6 weeks, Phoenix 2 every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Celestial Assault | Phoenix 2 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/celestial-assault-reloaded/id886074200/reviews) | **[4.7 (26K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phoenix-2/id1134895689/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **26K** |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **73.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 136 MB | 295 MB |
| Requires iOS | **6.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Lucid Vision Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/379877655) | [Firi Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/361212278) |

## What reviewers say

### Celestial Assault

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/celestial-assault-reloaded/id886074200)

Blast through alien hordes in this retro-style space shooter with RPG elements. Level up your ship, unlock weapons and skills, and take on challenging missions and bosses. Save humanity in this engaging and replayable adventure.

**Highlights:** Retro shmup gameplay, RPG ship leveling, 80 missions, 60+ unique enemies, 8 boss fights, Special weapons and upgrades, Global online leaderboards

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Skill Point | $0.99 | one-time |
| Reset Skill Points | $0.99 | one-time |
| Ad Free | $0.99 | one-time |
| Score Multiplier Cap Increase | $0.99 | one-time |
| 1 Capacity Shard | $0.99 | one-time |
| The Devastator | $0.99 | one-time |
| Mission Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| 5 Skill Points | $2.99 | one-time |
| 10 Skill Points | $4.99 | one-time |
| 25 Skill Points | $9.99 | one-time |


### Phoenix 2

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phoenix-2/id1134895689)

Blast through waves of alien invaders in this classic arcade space shooter. Collect and upgrade over 100 unique ships, complete exciting missions, and compete on global leaderboards. Enjoy short game sessions or an action-packed campaign with stunning graphics.

**Highlights:** Over 100 unique ships, Ship collection and upgrades, Action-packed campaign, Special abilities, Daily missions, Global leaderboards, Cross-platform play

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Game Controller support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 800 Credits | $0.99 | one-time |
| 5000 Credits | $4.99 | one-time |
| Special Offer | $4.99 | one-time |
| VIP | $4.99 | one-time |
| 12000 Credits | $9.99 | one-time |
| Special Offer | $9.99 | one-time |
| 25000 Credits | $19.99 | one-time |
| Special Offer | $19.99 | one-time |
| 65000 Credits | $49.99 | one-time |
| Special Offer | $49.99 | one-time |
| 140K Credits | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fantastic mobile game
- 🚀 Incredibly fun and addictive
- 🚀 Best bullet hell game on the phone
- 🚀 Easily the best bullet hell I've played
- 🚀 Amazing game for on the go fun

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Great Gameplay Ruined by Frustrating Ad Experience
- 💰 Supers aren't well implemented
- 💰 Micro-transactions too much
- 💰 Progression limited, hard to earn credits
- 🐛 Terrible, uninspiring compared to original Phoenix HD

**Reported bugs**

- Warp gate charge time bug
- Occasional crashes
- Incompatible with older devices

**Requested features**

- Add haptic feedback
- Implement an endless mode
- Allow players to customize ships
- Add a level creator
- Provide an offline mode


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Celestial Assault free?

Celestial Assault is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Phoenix 2 free?

Phoenix 2 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Celestial Assault or Phoenix 2?

Phoenix 2 is rated higher. Celestial Assault averages 4.3 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Phoenix 2 averages 4.7 from 26K ratings.

### Do Celestial Assault or Phoenix 2 have ads?

Phoenix 2 shows ads; Celestial Assault does not.

### Which is updated more often, Celestial Assault or Phoenix 2?

Celestial Assault ships an update every 6 weeks, and Phoenix 2 every 3 weeks. Most recently, Celestial Assault was updated on September 21, 2026 and Phoenix 2 on October 4, 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.*