Innerstellar vs Classic Maelstrom
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Innerstellar
Navigate through a cosmic landscape, strategically avoiding colored portals while seeking out black portals to advance. Experience a unique musical journey with a soundtrack by AIRGLOW.
- Portal avoidance gameplay
- Black portal collection
- Cosmic travel theme
- Original soundtrack by AIRGLOW
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Travel through Innerstellar. Avoid All Colored Portals. Enter Black Portals. Music By AIRGLOW
Classic Maelstrom
Experience a fast-paced, retro arcade shooter with classic pixel graphics and authentic sounds. Enjoy cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes, along with modern touch and controller support. Discover hidden secrets and challenge yourself with unique game modes.
- Fast-action gameplay
- Classic pixel graphics
- Original sounds
- Cooperative multiplayer
- Competitive multiplayer
- Mobile touch controls
- Game controller support
- Kid Mode
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Maelstrom is a licensed open source port of the original shareware game for the Macintosh by Ambrosia Software, Inc. It is a fast-action, asteroids-like game, with classic pixel graphics and original sounds. In addition to being a faithful reproduction of the original game, this version adds game controller support, mobile touch controls, and both cooperative and competitive multiplayer action. Features: Kid Mode Clicking the "kid mode" icon next to the play button will enable an easier play mode which will add the retro-thruster prize and automatically shield you as long as shields are available - but beware the Shenobi ships! Their shots will not trigger the automatic defensive systems. Achievements and high scores are not available while in this mode. Multiplayer You can host or join a multiplayer game from the main menu. Up to three players can play at once, and they can be any combination of other players on the local network, and connected controllers. Easter Eggs The classic easter eggs from the original game are all there, and it's up to you to find them...
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Classic Maelstrom at 5.0 against Innerstellar's 4.0. Classic Maelstrom also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 6 months). Innerstellar's advantage is ratings volume (10 vs 1) and iOS requirement (7.0 vs 15.6). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Innerstellar sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Classic Maelstrom asks for nothing beyond the download.
Classic Maelstrom holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Innerstellar has 10 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Innerstellar ships an update every 6 months, Classic Maelstrom every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Innerstellar | Classic Maelstrom |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (10 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 61.5% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 10 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 7.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 64 MB | 11 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | GalacticThumb Inc. | Sam Lantinga |
In-app purchases
Innerstellar
- Remove Ads$0.99
Classic Maelstrom
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Innerstellar free?
Is Classic Maelstrom free?
Which has better reviews, Innerstellar or Classic Maelstrom?
Do Innerstellar or Classic Maelstrom have ads?
Which is updated more often, Innerstellar or Classic Maelstrom?
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