# SpaceStationAR LITE vs ISS Explorer

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ISS Explorer at 100% against SpaceStationAR LITE's 47%. ISS Explorer also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.9 vs 4.5). SpaceStationAR LITE's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 10 months) and ratings volume (139 vs 16). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ISS Explorer holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SpaceStationAR LITE has 139 ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 47% of SpaceStationAR LITE's written reviews are positive against 100% of ISS Explorer's.

SpaceStationAR LITE ships an update every 2 weeks, ISS Explorer every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SpaceStationAR LITE | ISS Explorer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (139 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spacestationar-lite/id1023377153/reviews) | **[4.9 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iss-explorer/id1429876038/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **139** | 16 |
| Positive reviews | 46.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 10 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 27 MB | 747 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Toriningen Co.,Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/361194121) | [NASA](https://appshunter.io/developer/355542146) |

## What reviewers say

### SpaceStationAR LITE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spacestationar-lite/id1023377153)

Explore the night sky with augmented reality. This app overlays satellite passes, stars, and celestial objects onto your real-world view. Track the ISS, Starlink trains, and more, with calendar events and map visualizations.

**Highlights:** AR satellite pass simulation, Display of stars, galaxies, and spacecraft, Satellite pass visualization on maps, Global map of satellite orbits, Calendar of upcoming passes and launches, Offline app usage, Satellite pass notifications

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases:** none


### ISS Explorer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iss-explorer/id1429876038)

Explore a detailed 3D model of the International Space Station. Rotate, zoom, and select individual components to learn about their function and systems. Organize your view by turning parts and labels on or off.

**Highlights:** Interactive 3D ISS model, Rotate and zoom functionality, Selectable parts with isolation, Detailed information on components, Hierarchical part organization, Toggle parts and labels

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SpaceStationAR LITE free?

SpaceStationAR LITE is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is ISS Explorer free?

ISS Explorer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, SpaceStationAR LITE or ISS Explorer?

ISS Explorer is rated higher. SpaceStationAR LITE averages 4.5 out of 5 from 139 ratings, while ISS Explorer averages 4.9 from 16 ratings.

### Do SpaceStationAR LITE or ISS Explorer have ads?

SpaceStationAR LITE shows ads; ISS Explorer does not.

### Which is updated more often, SpaceStationAR LITE or ISS Explorer?

SpaceStationAR LITE ships an update every 2 weeks, and ISS Explorer every 10 months. Most recently, SpaceStationAR LITE was updated on September 21, 2026 and ISS Explorer on September 7, 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.*