# Hardboiled vs Star Traders

The clearest difference is rating: Star Traders at 4.6 against Hardboiled's 4.1. Star Traders also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 30 months) and ratings volume (668 vs 46). Hardboiled's advantage is price ($1.99 vs $6.99). On review sentiment, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Hardboiled costs $1.99 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 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Star Traders has 668 ratings behind it against 46, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 74% of Hardboiled's written reviews are positive against 73% of Star Traders's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Hardboiled ships an update every 30 months, Star Traders every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hardboiled | Star Traders |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$1.99** | $6.99 |
| Rating | [4.1 (46 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hardboiled/id977874600/reviews) | **[4.6 (668 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/star-traders-frontiers/id1442583232/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 46 | **668** |
| Positive reviews | **74.4% of reviews** | 73.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 30 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#41** |
| Size | 147 MB | 316 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 12.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Game Dev Team](https://appshunter.io/developer/561134317) | [Trese Brothers](https://appshunter.io/developer/528949265) |

## What reviewers say

### Hardboiled

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hardboiled/id977874600)

Embark on a turn-based RPG adventure in a post-apocalyptic world. Explore a desolate town, engage in strategic combat, and make choices that shape your character's destiny and the fate of survivors. Your decisions will determine whether you become a harbinger of justice or chaos.

**Highlights:** Explore desolate post-apocalyptic towns, Strategic turn-based combat, Atmospheric graphics and sound, Scavenge for weapons and loot, Dynamic reputation system, Robust skill point system

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Fallout-like experience
- 💰 Good value for price
- ⚔️ Turn-based combat
- 🗺️ Post-apocalyptic theme
- 🎮 Simple and fun gameplay

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⏳ Too short/limited content
- ❓ Vague quests/boring quests
- 📉 Steep learning curve
- 🤖 Unimaginative equipment
- 😠 Frustrating combat difficulty

**Reported bugs**

- Combat locks you in
- Enemies walk away out of range
- Cannot save game
- Loot disappears after death
- Game crashes during combat

**Requested features**

- More content/levels/chapters
- Sequel with more features
- Save/load feature
- More in-depth character customization
- Perks system


### Star Traders

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

**Currently charting:** #41 Top Paid · Role Playing, #85 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 Hardboiled free?

Hardboiled costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Star Traders free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Hardboiled or Star Traders?

Star Traders is rated higher. Hardboiled averages 4.1 out of 5 from 46 ratings, while Star Traders averages 4.6 from 668 ratings.

### Do Hardboiled or Star Traders have ads?

Neither Hardboiled nor Star Traders shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hardboiled or Star Traders?

Hardboiled ships an update every 30 months, and Star Traders every 3 weeks. Most recently, Hardboiled was updated on September 20, 2026 and Star Traders on September 24, 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.*