# Space Mission vs Space Explore AR

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Space Explore AR at none against Space Mission's 1. Space Mission's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Space Mission sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Space Explore AR asks for nothing beyond the download.

Space Mission ships an update every 6 months, Space Explore AR every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on June 7, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Space Mission | Space Explore AR |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/space-mission-survival/id898024954/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **3** | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 4 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 17 MB | 228 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [John Schumacher](https://appshunter.io/developer/509865315) | [Oleksii Petrochenko](https://appshunter.io/developer/1669228110) |

## What reviewers say

### Space Mission

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/space-mission-survival/id898024954)

Pilot a retro arcade spaceship, defending astronauts from alien waves. Manage limited fuel to destroy enemies, rescue stranded crew, and return them to safety. Compete for high scores on global leaderboards.

**Highlights:** Retro arcade space shooter gameplay, Limited fuel management, Rescue stranded astronauts, Destroy waves of aliens and mines, Score-based progression, Global leaderboards, Achievements and social sharing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Show Your Support | $0.99 | one-time |


### Space Explore AR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/space-explore-ar/id6449367264)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Space Mission free?

Space Mission is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Space Explore AR free?

Space Explore AR is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Space Mission or Space Explore AR have ads?

Space Explore AR shows ads; Space Mission does not.

### Which is updated more often, Space Mission or Space Explore AR?

Space Mission ships an update every 6 months, and Space Explore AR every 4 months. Most recently, Space Mission was updated on June 7, 2026 and Space Explore AR on September 18, 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.*