Comparison

Relativistic vs Galaxy Map

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Relativistic

Explore the effects of relativity by adjusting the speed of light and observing real-time changes. Simulate scenarios like time dilation and gravitational blueshift by placing observers and celestial objects on a map. This app offers an intuitive method for understanding Einstein's theory.

Highlights
  • Adjustable speed of light
  • Real-time relativity effects
  • Observer placement and time dilation
  • Black hole simulation
  • Gravitational blueshift visualization
  • Intuitive learning tool
Read full description

Experience the world at the speed of light. Relativistic lets you set the speed of light to walking pace and then walk around your neighborhood and see the effects of relativity in real time. Place observers on a map and watch their time slow down and speed up relative to you as you move. Place a black hole at the end of your road and watch outside observers glow blue as you walk towards its singularity. Relativistic provides an intuitive way to learn about and teach the details of Einstein's theory of relativity.

About

Galaxy Map

Explore the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies in an interactive 3D map. Discover nebulae, supernovae, and planets, with stunning visuals based on NASA data. Ideal for education and space enthusiasts.

Highlights
  • Interactive 3D galaxy map
  • Explore nebulae and supernovae
  • Fly through planetary atmospheres
  • Land on planets
  • Based on NASA data
  • Available in 100+ languages
Features
Read full description

The galaxy map is an interactive map of the Milky Way galaxy, Andromeda and their satellite galaxies. Explore the Orion Arm's nebulae and supernovae from the comfort of your spaceship. Fly through the atmosphere of Mars and many other planets and you can even land on them. Discover the galaxy in a stunning three dimensional map based on NASA's artistic impression of the Milky Way galactic structure. Photos are taken by NASA spacecraft and ground based telescopes like Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra X-Ray, Herschel Space Observatory and the Spitzer Space Telescope. This interactive 3D map is excellent for teachers to use for instruction, and it is a great astronomy resource for students to explore the Milky Way galaxy and space as they learn more about the universe we live in. Available in over 100 languages! You can also From the outskirts of the galaxy, in the Norma-Outer spiral arm to the galactic center's supermassive black hole Sagittarius A*, discover a galaxy full of amazing facts. Notable structures included: the Pillars of Creation, Helix Nebula, the Engraved Hourglass Nebula, the Pleiades, the Orion Arm (where the solar system and the Earth are located) with its Orion belt. Check out neighboring dwarf galaxies such as Sagittarius and the Canis Major Overdensity, stellar streams as well as internal galactic components such as a variety of nebulae, star clusters or supernovae. Explore space and get a little closer to our wonderful universe with this awesome astronomy app! The Galaxy Map requires internet access to retrieve information from the wiki.

Screenshots

Relativistic3 screens
Galaxy Map4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Relativistic at none against Galaxy Map's 13. Relativistic also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Galaxy Map's advantage is ratings volume (609 vs 2). On price 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Galaxy Map sells 13 one-off in-app purchases. Relativistic asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Relativistic holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Galaxy Map has 609 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Relativistic versus Galaxy Map: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRelativisticGalaxy Map
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better4.6 (609 ratings)
Positive reviews—79.8% of reviews
Number of ratings2609 — better
Update frequency—Monthly
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS9.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB632 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChristopher LeetAndrei Nistorescu

Customer experience

Relativistic

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Galaxy Map

All ratings609 ratings
Positive91.1%
Neutral3.9%
Negative4.9%
Written reviews104 reviews
Positive79.8%
Neutral6.7%
Negative13.5%

Bugs and requests

Relativistic

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Galaxy Map

Reported bugs

9 issues
  • App crashes on startup
  • Explore button shows nothing
  • Pinch-to-zoom doesn't work
  • App won't load on iPad
  • Text displays as boxes in language settings
Show 4 more
  • Mars moon orbital speed incorrect
  • App kicks users out during exploration
  • Loading issues and incomplete functionality
  • Inconsistent performance across platforms

Requested features

18 requests
  • Search button to find galaxies and objects
  • More diverse and realistic black hole designs
  • AR feature to identify stars/planets in real sky
  • More free content and objects
  • Exoplanet additions (TRAPPIST-1e, J1407B)
Show 13 more
  • Ability to click on stars within galaxies for details
  • Generated planets around stars
  • Sandbox/creation mode for user-generated content
  • Animation for Milky Way and Andromeda
  • More galaxy variety in the app
  • Coordinates filter for objects
  • Space-Engine style gameplay
  • Flying through galaxies feature
  • More female character customization options
  • VIP version option
  • Brown dwarfs addition
  • Photosphere viewing mode
  • More detailed star information

In-app purchases

None

Relativistic

No in-app purchases

13 purchases

Galaxy Map

One-time13
  • Buy ship - Alien Destroyer$0.99
  • Buy ship - Alien fighter$0.99
  • Remove ads$1.99
Show 10 more
  • Buy ship - Alien Destroyer$1.99
  • Buy ship - Alien fighter$1.99
  • 3D Visualization Pack$1.99
  • Buy ship - Dragon Frigate$1.99
  • Essentials bundle - SALE$2.99
  • Remove ads$3.99
  • 3D Visualization Pack$3.99
  • Ultimate bundle - SALE$4.99
  • Essentials bundle$4.99
  • Ultimate bundle$8.99

Questions

Is Relativistic free?
Relativistic is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Galaxy Map free?
Galaxy Map is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Relativistic or Galaxy Map?
Relativistic is rated higher. Relativistic averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Galaxy Map averages 4.6 from 609 ratings.
Do Relativistic or Galaxy Map have ads?
Galaxy Map shows ads; Relativistic does not.

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