# GLOBE Observer vs Hestia Traffic

The clearest difference is rating: Hestia Traffic at 5.0 against GLOBE Observer's 3.1. Hestia Traffic also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 2 months). GLOBE Observer's advantage is ratings volume (86 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

Hestia Traffic holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: GLOBE Observer has 86 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

GLOBE Observer ships an update every 2 months, Hestia Traffic every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | GLOBE Observer | Hestia Traffic |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.1 (86 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/globe-observer/id1090456751/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hestia-traffic/id6478030445/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **86** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 33.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 5 MB | 79 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [NASA](https://appshunter.io/developer/355542146) | [Shanthi Swaroopa Hari Podhili](https://appshunter.io/developer/1731421530) |

## What reviewers say

### GLOBE Observer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/globe-observer/id1090456751)

Contribute to real scientific research by making environmental observations. Document clouds, mosquito habitats, land cover, and trees using your mobile device. Your data supports scientists worldwide, including NASA and NOAA.

**Highlights:** Make environmental observations, Document clouds, Map mosquito habitats, Record land cover, Measure tree height, Contribute to scientific research

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for citizen science
- 💡 Educational and informative
- 👍 Easy to use (for some)
- 👍 Meaningful environmental measurements
- 👍 Fun and engaging

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐛 Login/update issues
- 🐛 Account creation problems
- 🐛 Observations not submitting
- 🐛 Poor UI/UX design

**Reported bugs**

- Checking for updates loop
- 504 error on account creation
- Fails after step 5 in account creation
- Robot verification loop
- App crashes on opening

**Requested features**

- Improve UI/UX design
- Add dark mode
- Better translation
- Notifications for satellite flyovers
- Integrate with WorldView or Google Earth


### Hestia Traffic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hestia-traffic/id6478030445)

Contribute to environmental research by counting vehicles and their types. This citizen science app helps collect data to analyze and reduce local greenhouse gas emissions.

**Highlights:** Citizen science vehicle counting, Vehicle classification, Greenhouse gas emission data, Local environmental analysis, Data contribution for research

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is GLOBE Observer free?

GLOBE Observer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Hestia Traffic free?

Hestia Traffic is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, GLOBE Observer or Hestia Traffic?

Hestia Traffic is rated higher. GLOBE Observer averages 3.1 out of 5 from 86 ratings, while Hestia Traffic averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do GLOBE Observer or Hestia Traffic have ads?

Neither GLOBE Observer nor Hestia Traffic shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, GLOBE Observer or Hestia Traffic?

GLOBE Observer ships an update every 2 months, and Hestia Traffic every 9 days. Most recently, GLOBE Observer was updated on October 15, 2026 and Hestia Traffic on September 17, 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.*