Comparison

Hello Mars vs ISS Explorer

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

Head to head
About

Hello Mars

Explore the stars and journey to Mars with real-time weather data directly from the Curiosity Rover. Track planetary positions and share your cosmic adventures.

Highlights
  • Real-time weather from Curiosity Rover
  • Accurate planetary tracking
  • Share experiences on social media
  • Explore Mars on your phone
Features
Read full description

Next stop, Mars. A manned mission to the red planet is happening sooner than you think. That’s why Hello Mars from Lockheed Martin provides a beautiful experience as you search the stars, travel to distant orbits and reach Mars with real-time weather data. Explore Mars – on your phone. Download today. FEATURES: - Get real-time weather direct from Curiosity Rover. - Discover where the planets are with accurate planetary tracking. - Share your experience on Twitter and Facebook.

About

ISS Explorer

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
Read full description

The ISS explorer is an interactive tool for exploring the parts and pieces of the International Space Station (ISS). The application allows the user to view a 3D model of the ISS, rotate it, zoom into it, and select different parts and pieces. When the application starts, you can see a view of the entire ISS with category labels. Tabs are available on the left hand side of the screen which allow you access to information, the hierarchy, settings and application information. From this point, you can zoom into the station, revealing more labels of visible parts. The station can also be rotated to view from different angles. If a part is selected, the part is isolated so that you can focus on the specific piece. The information tab shows information about the currently isolated part. Inside the hierarchy tab, you can turn parts on or off, turn labels for parts on or off, turn parts transparent, or select a part to focus on. The parts are organized in a hierarchy to allow for systems to be described and displayed. This includes things such as truss, modules, and external platforms. The Information tab shows information about the current isolated part, system, or the full ISS if the entire station is shown.

Screenshots

Hello Mars4 screens
ISS Explorer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ISS Explorer at 100% against Hello Mars's 57%. ISS Explorer also leads on rating (4.9 vs 3.6). Hello Mars's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 10 months) and iOS requirement (6.0 vs 13.0). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ISS Explorer holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 22 and 16 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 57% of Hello Mars's written reviews are positive against 100% of ISS Explorer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hello Mars ships an update every 3 days, ISS Explorer every 10 months. Both last shipped on September 7, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Hello Mars versus ISS Explorer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHello MarsISS Explorer
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.6 (22 ratings)4.9 (16 ratings) — better
Positive reviews57.1% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings22 — better16
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterEvery 10 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS6.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size227 MB747 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLockheed MartinNASA

Customer experience

Hello Mars

All ratings22 ratings
Positive63.6%
Neutral9.1%
Negative27.3%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive57.1%
Neutral14.3%
Negative28.6%

ISS Explorer

All ratings16 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Hello Mars

No in-app purchases

None

ISS Explorer

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Hello Mars free?
Hello Mars 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, Hello Mars or ISS Explorer?
ISS Explorer is rated higher. Hello Mars averages 3.6 out of 5 from 22 ratings, while ISS Explorer averages 4.9 from 16 ratings.
Do Hello Mars or ISS Explorer have ads?
Neither Hello Mars nor ISS Explorer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Hello Mars or ISS Explorer?
Hello Mars ships an update every 3 days, and ISS Explorer every 10 months. Most recently, Hello Mars was updated on September 7, 2026 and ISS Explorer on September 7, 2026.

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