Cosmology vs Galaxy Map
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Cosmology
Explore the universe with stunning high-resolution images of celestial bodies. Journey through space, visiting planets and their moons, while learning about the evolution of space, time, and matter. Ponder the profound mysteries of existence.
- High-resolution images of planets, nebulae, and galaxies
- Interactive space travel to planets and moons
- Learn about the evolution of space, time, and matter
- Expert narration by Dr. Aaron Day
- Exploration of existential mysteries of the universe
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Explore the universe with 100s of high resolution images of planets, nebulae, galaxies, and more. Travel through space, visiting every planet and their major moons. Learn about the creation of space, time, and matter, and their evolution into stars, galaxies, and planets in the present day. Ponder the deep, existential mysteries of the universe. The story of creation is told by Dr. Aaron Day. Dr. Day earned his Ph.D. at the University of California, San Diego for research in cosmology.
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.
- Interactive 3D galaxy map
- Explore nebulae and supernovae
- Fly through planetary atmospheres
- Land on planets
- Based on NASA data
- Available in 100+ languages
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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
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Cosmology at none against Galaxy Map's 13. Cosmology also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (89% vs 80%). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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. Galaxy Map sells 13 one-off in-app purchases. Cosmology asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Cosmology against 4.6 for Galaxy Map. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 505 and 600 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 89% of Cosmology's written reviews are positive against 80% of Galaxy Map's.
Cosmology ships an update monthly, Galaxy Map every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Cosmology | Galaxy Map |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (505 ratings) — better | 4.6 (600 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 88.6% of reviews — better | 80.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 505 | 600 — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 5 weeks |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 190 MB | 613 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Aaron Day | Andrei Nistorescu |
Customer experience
Cosmology
Galaxy Map
User reviews
Cosmology
From 505 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🌟 Stunning, beautiful astrophotography images
- 📚 Educational content about space and universe
- 👍 Easy to use and understand interface
- 🎥 Informative videos and interactive features
- 🗺️ Interactive map for exploring cosmic scales
Room to improve
- 🐛 Image interference/technical glitches
- 📖 Shallow explanations for non-experts
- ⚠️ Limited educational depth compared to NASA app
- 🤔 Big Bang theory focus may conflict with religious beliefs
- ❌ Incomplete sections (Milky Way, Island Universe)
Galaxy Map
From 600 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🌌 Impressive 3D galaxy and nebula visualizations
- 🚀 Spaceship exploration feature with landing capability
- 📚 Educational content about space and astronomy
- 🎮 Fun and engaging gameplay mechanics
- ✨ No ads in free version
Room to improve
- 💰 Excessive paywall for most content
- 🐛 App crashes and fails to load
- 🎮 Poor control mechanics for flying and walking
- 🔍 Lack of zoom functionality or unclear controls
- 🌑 Black holes look too similar to each other
Bugs and requests
Cosmology
Reported bugs
2 issues- Image display interference/hacking concerns
- App feels incomplete in certain sections
Requested features
6 requests- More interactive activities and engagement features
- Text-to-speech functionality
- More detailed explanations for beginner-level users
- Additional sub-categories and content sections
- Regular updates with current astronomical images
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- Alternative cosmological perspectives or viewpoints
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
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- 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)
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- 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
Cosmology
No in-app purchases
Galaxy Map
- Buy ship - Alien Destroyer$0.99
- Buy ship - Alien fighter$0.99
- Remove ads$1.99
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- 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
