# BiomeViewer vs GlobeViewer

The clearest difference is rating: BiomeViewer at 4.6 against GlobeViewer's 3.4. BiomeViewer also leads on review sentiment (70% vs 33%) and in-app purchases (none vs 11). GlobeViewer's advantage is device support (4 vs 1). On price and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. GlobeViewer sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. BiomeViewer asks for nothing beyond the download.

BiomeViewer holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 17 and 5 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of BiomeViewer's written reviews are positive against 33% of GlobeViewer's.

BiomeViewer ships an update every 3 weeks, GlobeViewer every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on June 4, 2026 and August 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BiomeViewer | GlobeViewer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/biomeviewer/id1138439750/reviews)** | [3.4 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/globeviewer/id1394087613/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **17** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | **69.6% of reviews** | 33.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 276 MB | 236 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Howard Hughes Medical Institute](https://appshunter.io/developer/411540290) | [RAB-Software](https://appshunter.io/developer/543575684) |

## What reviewers say

### BiomeViewer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/biomeviewer/id1138439750)

Explore Earth's diverse ecosystems and discover climate data, wildlife, and historical changes in human settlement. This app features interactive maps and detailed information on biomes and over 16,000 species.

**Highlights:** Explore Earth's ecosystems, View historic climate data, Discover wildlife and species, Analyze human impact on ecosystems, Interactive globe and map views, Side-by-side biome comparisons

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### GlobeViewer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/globeviewer/id1394087613)

Explore Earth with a high-resolution 3D globe and topography maps. View surface, underwater, and topographical details, with real-time event overlays. Access extensive geographical data for offline use.

**Highlights:** Interactive 3D globe, High-resolution topography maps, Surface and underwater views, Real-time event overlays, Offline data caching, Extensive place names and geographical features

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 4K & Polar Regions | $0.99 | one-time |
| 4K & South America | $2.99 | one-time |
| 4K & Pacific | $2.99 | one-time |
| 4K & Japan/Korea/Taiwan | $2.99 | one-time |
| 8K & North America | $4.99 | one-time |
| 8K & Australia | $4.99 | one-time |
| 8K & China | $4.99 | one-time |
| 8K & Russia | $4.99 | one-time |
| 8K & Europe | $4.99 | one-time |
| 8K Pass | $8.99 | one-time |
| Professional Version | $14.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BiomeViewer free?

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

### Is GlobeViewer free?

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

### Which has better reviews, BiomeViewer or GlobeViewer?

BiomeViewer is rated higher. BiomeViewer averages 4.6 out of 5 from 17 ratings, while GlobeViewer averages 3.4 from 5 ratings.

### Do BiomeViewer or GlobeViewer have ads?

GlobeViewer shows ads; BiomeViewer does not.

### Which is updated more often, BiomeViewer or GlobeViewer?

BiomeViewer ships an update every 3 weeks, and GlobeViewer every 6 weeks. Most recently, BiomeViewer was updated on June 4, 2026 and GlobeViewer on August 14, 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.*