Comparison

ISS Live Now vs SimuDrone

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

Head to head
About

ISS Live Now

Experience Earth from orbit with a 24/7 live HD video stream from the International Space Station. Track the ISS's path on a dynamic map and access various NASA and ESA feeds, including spacewalk footage and interior tours.

Highlights
  • 24/7 live HD Earth view from ISS
  • Interactive ISS orbit tracker map
  • Multiple live video streams (ISS cameras, NASA TV, ESA)
  • Spacewalk and interior ISS video tours
  • Notifications for live sunrise/sunset views
  • Launchpad live streams
Features
Read full description

See the Earth as the astronauts see it with a 24/7 video livestream from the International Space Station. If you like space or astronomy, you will love ISS Live Now. ISS Live Now gives you easy access to live video feeds of Earth from the International Space Station, orbiting about 400 kilometers (250 miles) above the planet. The app combines live streaming, orbit tracking and space exploration tools in one thoughtful experience. LIVE VIDEO STREAMS • Live HD Camera: High-resolution view of Earth from EHDC cameras aboard the ISS. • Live Standard Camera: Live Earth views with mission updates, tests and communications. • NASA TV: Science and space documentaries, plus interviews with astronauts, scientists and engineers. • NASA TV Media. • Spacewalk (Recorded): HD footage from cameras outside the ISS. • Inside the International Space Station: Video tours of ISS modules explained by astronauts. • Eventual Channel: Temporary live feeds from NASA, ESA, Roscosmos and SpaceX. • Launchpad Cameras: 24/7 live streams from launch sites around the world. • ESA: Live feeds from the European Space Agency. • Sen.com 4K Cameras: Ultra-high-definition views via the official Sen website. MAP & TRACKING Follow the ISS orbit with Google Maps or an interactive 3D globe. Zoom, rotate, drag and tilt the map to see exactly where the station is flying. ISS DETECTOR Discover when the ISS will pass over your location, track visible passes in the sky and receive alerts for daylight passes near you. ROCKET LAUNCHES & EVENTS Browse upcoming rocket launches and receive notifications about live space events, including spacewalks and mission milestones. EXPLORE & LEARN • Virtual Tour: Explore the ISS in an immersive street-view experience. • Who Is in the ISS: Meet the astronauts currently aboard the station. • SpaceX Docking Simulator: Practice docking with the official SpaceX simulator. • Solar System Explorer: Travel through the solar system. NOTIFICATIONS Get alerts for sunrise and sunset as seen from the ISS, interesting locations on Earth, rocket launches and special live events. NOTE When the ISS is on Earth's night side, the video image is black: this is normal. Occasionally, a blue or blank screen appears due to transmission issues or camera changes. The stream usually returns within a few minutes. This is not an app problem. X: @isslivenow, News about the ISS, NASA, space, Earth and the live stream. Instagram: @isslivenow, Photos of Earth from the streaming cameras and NASA TV. Facebook: @isslivenow, Photos, news and information about ISS Live Now.

About

SimuDrone

Practice drone maneuvers and flight modes in a realistic simulation environment. Use your own DJI remote controller to build muscle memory and flying skills without the risk of damage or costly repairs.

Highlights
  • Crash-free learning environment
  • Practice with DJI remote controller
  • Realistic physics simulation
  • Build muscle memory and flying skill
  • Learn complex maneuvers and flight modes
Features
Read full description

*This version is not compatible with DJI Mini 4K remote controller. -Crash-Free Confidence: Learn complex maneuvers and flight modes without ever worrying about damage or expensive repairs. -Practice Prepares Perfect: Use your own DJI remote controller to build muscle memory and true flying skill before leaving the ground. -Realistic Physics, Pure Fun: Enjoy authentic, lifelike drone simulation designed to keep your practice hours engaging and effective.

Screenshots

ISS Live Now4 screens
SimuDrone4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ISS Live Now at 88% against SimuDrone's 35%. ISS Live Now also leads on rating (4.6 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (6.7K vs 269). SimuDrone's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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. ISS Live Now sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and SimuDrone sells 13 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ISS Live Now holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ISS Live Now has 6.7K ratings behind it against 269, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 88% of ISS Live Now's written reviews are positive against 35% of SimuDrone's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ISS Live Now ships an update monthly, SimuDrone every 3 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
ISS Live Now versus SimuDrone: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterISS Live NowSimuDrone
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (6.7K ratings) — better4.0 (269 ratings)
Positive reviews87.8% of reviews — better35.5% of reviews
Number of ratings6.7K — better269
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 3 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size92 MB309 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCarlos SantosMustafa Akkuzu

Customer experience

ISS Live Now

All ratings6,700 ratings
Positive91.6%
Neutral3.1%
Negative5.3%
Written reviews1,838 reviews
Positive87.8%
Neutral4.3%
Negative7.9%

SimuDrone

All ratings268 ratings
Positive73.1%
Neutral7.5%
Negative19.4%
Written reviews251 reviews
Positive35.5%
Neutral15.1%
Negative49.4%

User reviews

ISS Live Now

From 6.7K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Exceptional program
  • 🚀 Excellent
  • 🚀 Fascinating!
  • 🚀 Educational
  • 🚀 Great fun

Room to improve

  • 🐛 It is not working
  • 🐛 Maybe I'm getting old
  • 🐛 Good app...but inappropriate ads for a family app.
  • 🐛 Cameras seem to be down a lot.
  • 🐛 More earth less space station !!!

SimuDrone

From 269 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎮 Works with actual DJI controller for realistic practice
  • ✈️ Effective tool for learning drone flying skills
  • 🎯 Good for beginners to practice control techniques
  • 🏃 Responsive controller input and flight mechanics
  • 🎬 Supports multiple flight modes (Cine, Normal, Sport)

Room to improve

  • 💸 Aggressive monetization with coin system
  • 🐛 Frequent controller connection failures
  • 📱 Limited controller compatibility (many DJI models unsupported)
  • 🎨 Basic graphics quality
  • 🔌 Confusing connection instructions and setup

Bugs and requests

ISS Live Now

Reported bugs

7 issues
  • Map is not working!
  • Live feed cuts when strange things happen
  • No camera available
  • Constant loss of connection
  • Camera quality issues
Show 2 more
  • Login screen freezes
  • Incompatible with older devices

Requested features

9 requests
  • More live cameras please
  • Add zoom in function
  • Add more map options
  • Add ability to save stills or videos
  • Add captions for the videos
Show 4 more
  • Add more angles of the space station
  • Add ability to watch spacewalks
  • Add dark mode option
  • Add advanced analytics dashboard

SimuDrone

Reported bugs

9 issues
  • Controller won't connect to app (multiple controller models affected)
  • App crashes and lockups, especially in city map
  • Flight orientation changes randomly mid-flight
  • Purchased maps/coins disappear after updates
  • Drone selection option disappears after initial setup
Show 4 more
  • Internet connection check fails despite valid connection
  • RC controller connection takes very long time
  • Purchased unlimited coins don't unlock all features
  • Incompatible with DJI RC-N1, RC-N1C, RC-N3, Mini 4K, DJI FPV Motion Controller 3, and DJI C5 controllers

Requested features

13 requests
  • More maps and environments (forest, outdoor scenes)
  • Controller sensitivity adjustment settings
  • Better graphics quality
  • One-time purchase option instead of coin system
  • Ad-supported free play option
Show 8 more
  • Telemetry data display
  • Moving objects to track (cars, etc.)
  • Ability to change drone type after initial selection
  • Flight mode synchronization with controller
  • Skip initial takeoff sequence
  • Custom music playback from phone library
  • Better instructions for earning stars
  • Support for more DJI controller models

In-app purchases

1 purchases

ISS Live Now

One-time1
  • Remove ads$2.99
13 purchases

SimuDrone

One-time13
  • Buy 30 Coins$0.99
  • Unlock Factory 2$0.99
  • Unlock Settlement$0.99
Show 10 more
  • Unlock Parking$0.99
  • Unlock Industry$0.99
  • Unlock Island$0.99
  • Get 70 Coins$1.99
  • 50 monedas$1.99
  • Unlock 3 Maps$1.99
  • 150 Coins$2.49
  • 500 Coins$2.99
  • Unlimited Coins$3.49
  • Combo Pack$3.99

Questions

Is ISS Live Now free?
ISS Live Now is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SimuDrone free?
SimuDrone is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, ISS Live Now or SimuDrone?
ISS Live Now is rated higher. ISS Live Now averages 4.6 out of 5 from 6.7K ratings, while SimuDrone averages 4.0 from 269 ratings.
Do ISS Live Now or SimuDrone have ads?
ISS Live Now shows ads; SimuDrone does not.
Which is updated more often, ISS Live Now or SimuDrone?
ISS Live Now ships an update monthly, and SimuDrone every 3 months. Most recently, ISS Live Now was updated on October 24, 2026 and SimuDrone on October 24, 2026.

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