# SPACE by THIX vs Galaxy Map

The clearest difference is price: Galaxy Map at Free against SPACE by THIX's $2.99. Galaxy Map also leads on rating (4.6 vs 3.7) and review sentiment (80% vs 50%). SPACE by THIX's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 13) and ads (none vs shown). On update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Galaxy Map is free to download; SPACE by THIX costs $2.99 up front. Galaxy Map sells 13 one-off in-app purchases. SPACE by THIX asks for nothing beyond the download.

Galaxy Map holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 169 and 600 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of SPACE by THIX's written reviews are positive against 80% of Galaxy Map's.

SPACE by THIX ships an update every 2 months, Galaxy Map every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SPACE by THIX | Galaxy Map |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.7 (169 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/space-by-thix/id1053605807/reviews) | **[4.6 (600 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/galaxy-map/id1170905456/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 169 | **600** |
| Positive reviews | 50.5% of reviews | **80.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 106 MB | 613 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [THIX LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/433373206) | [Andrei Nistorescu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1048905386) |

## What reviewers say

### SPACE by THIX

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/space-by-thix/id1053605807)

Create and explore your own universe with realistic physics. Build celestial bodies, experiment with natural laws, and journey through the cosmos you design. Learn astronomy and astrophysics through interactive play.

**Highlights:** Create celestial bodies (planets, stars, black holes), Experiment with gravity and natural laws, Simulate supernovae and planetary collisions, Interactive real-time physics, Explore created universes, Learn astronomy and astrophysics

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 Cool and fun to play with
- 🌌 Relaxing and immersive space experience
- 🎨 Beautiful graphics and visuals

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and glitchy behavior
- 🔍 Difficulty seeing and interacting with small objects
- 🤔 Lack of clear instructions or tutorials
- 🕹️ Frustrating controls and navigation

**Reported bugs**

- Planets and objects behaving erratically or disappearing
- Frequent crashes or freezes, especially with many objects
- Inconsistent or unresponsive touch controls
- Incorrect physics or behavior of certain celestial bodies

**Requested features**

- Add ability to customize and edit planets
- Implement time controls to speed up/slow down simulation
- Provide more celestial objects and phenomena to interact with
- Improve performance and reduce lag on complex scenes
- Include a tutorial or in-game guidance for new players


### Galaxy Map

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/galaxy-map/id1170905456)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Buy ship - Alien Destroyer | $0.99 | one-time |
| Buy ship - Alien fighter | $0.99 | one-time |
| Remove ads | $1.99 | one-time |
| Buy ship - Alien Destroyer | $1.99 | one-time |
| Buy ship - Alien fighter | $1.99 | one-time |
| 3D Visualization Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Buy ship - Dragon Frigate | $1.99 | one-time |
| Essentials bundle - SALE | $2.99 | one-time |
| Remove ads | $3.99 | one-time |
| 3D Visualization Pack | $3.99 | one-time |
| Ultimate bundle - SALE | $4.99 | one-time |
| Essentials bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Ultimate bundle | $8.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌌 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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 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

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SPACE by THIX free?

SPACE by THIX costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Galaxy Map free?

Galaxy Map is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, SPACE by THIX or Galaxy Map?

Galaxy Map is rated higher. SPACE by THIX averages 3.7 out of 5 from 169 ratings, while Galaxy Map averages 4.6 from 600 ratings.

### Do SPACE by THIX or Galaxy Map have ads?

Galaxy Map shows ads; SPACE by THIX does not.

### Which is updated more often, SPACE by THIX or Galaxy Map?

SPACE by THIX ships an update every 2 months, and Galaxy Map every 5 weeks. Most recently, SPACE by THIX was updated on September 23, 2026 and Galaxy Map on September 25, 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.*