# The Shadow Horror vs Star Traders

The clearest difference is rating: Star Traders at 4.6 against The Shadow Horror's 3.4. Star Traders also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (674 vs 5). On review sentiment, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

The Shadow Horror costs $7.99 and Star Traders $6.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Star Traders holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Star Traders has 674 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of The Shadow Horror's written reviews are positive against 73% of Star Traders's.

The Shadow Horror ships an update every 2 months, Star Traders every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Shadow Horror | Star Traders |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $7.99 | **$6.99** |
| Rating | [3.4 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-shadow-horror/id966275148/reviews) | **[4.6 (674 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/star-traders-frontiers/id1442583232/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **674** |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | **73.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#66** |
| Size | 32 MB | 316 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 12.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Hosted Games LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/482415564) | [Trese Brothers](https://appshunter.io/developer/528949265) |

## What reviewers say

### The Shadow Horror

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-shadow-horror/id966275148)

Explore an abandoned house filled with a terrifying creature. Solve puzzles, uncover mysteries, and improvise defenses to survive the night. Your choices determine your fate against the lurking Shadow Horror.

**Highlights:** Solve puzzles and mysteries, Identify the lurking horror, Author's commentary, Explore freely, Improvise weapons and defenses, Non-linear exploration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Star Traders

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/star-traders-frontiers/id1442583232)

**Currently charting:** #66 Top Paid · Role Playing, #115 Top Paid · Strategy (US App Store)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤔 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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Shadow Horror free?

The Shadow Horror costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Star Traders free?

Star Traders costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, The Shadow Horror or Star Traders?

Star Traders is rated higher. The Shadow Horror averages 3.4 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Star Traders averages 4.6 from 674 ratings.

### Do The Shadow Horror or Star Traders have ads?

The Shadow Horror shows ads; Star Traders does not.

### Which is updated more often, The Shadow Horror or Star Traders?

The Shadow Horror ships an update every 2 months, and Star Traders every 3 weeks. Most recently, The Shadow Horror was updated on November 1, 2026 and Star Traders on November 6, 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.*