Galaxy Map vs DeepSkyCentral
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Galaxy Map
Explore the cosmos with an interactive 3D planetarium. Journey to millions of stars, land on exoplanets, and delve into the mysteries of black holes and pulsars. Discover detailed information sourced from NASA and ESA.
- Interactive 3D space exploration
- Land on exoplanets and moons
- Explore gas giants
- Venture near black holes and pulsars
- Millions of stars and thousands of exoplanets
- Daily updated exoplanet information
- Multilingual support
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Experience the captivating wonders of the cosmos with Galaxy Map - Stars and Planets, an interactive 3D planetarium powered by precise data obtained from NASA and ESA space missions. Delve into a profound expedition through the infinite expanse of space, where an abundance of knowledge is readily available, directly sourced from the forefront of groundbreaking space research. Traverse the vast expanse of the galaxy, soaring through the stardust as you journey to millions of stars. Land on alien planets and exomoons, where breathtaking landscapes and untold wonders await your arrival. Embrace the thrill of plunging into the turbulent atmospheres of gas giants to reach their elusive cores. This app includes both the "Galaxy Map" and "Stars and Planets" apps, with all their in-app purchases included (and future addons). Push the boundaries of exploration as you venture closer to black holes, pulsars and magnetars, where the laws of physics are stretched to their limits. With Galaxy Map - Stars and Planets, the entire universe becomes your playground, providing an unmatched platform for discovery and enlightenment. Features ▶ Immersive spacecraft simulation allowing users to fly to different planets and moons and explore the depths of gas giants ▶ Land on exoplanets and take command of a character, exploring the unique surfaces of these distant worlds ▶ Daily updated information on exoplanets from multiple sources, eliminating the need for manual application updates ▶ Extensive online database encompassing approximately 7.85 million stars, over 7500 exoplanets, 205 circumstellar disks, 32868 black holes, 3344 pulsars and over 150 moons in our Solar System (plus exomoons) ▶ Comprehensive search system for efficient data retrieval of stellar and substellar objects ▶ Global accessibility with support for over 100 languages Data imported from various sources including: SIMBAD, The Extrasolar Planets Encyclopedia, NASA Exoplanet Archive, Planet Habitability Laboratory Join my discord server so you can see what new features are planned in the future or if you simply want to talk about space related stuff: https://discord.gg/dyeu3BR If you have a PC/Mac you can also access Stars and Planets from your browser here: https://galaxymap.net/webgl/index.html
DeepSkyCentral
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DeepSkyCentral is your AI-powered astronomy companion for all astronomers both visual observers and astrophotographers — plan your sessions, find your targets, and manage your gear all in one place. Built by astronomers- for astronomers. ASTRO AI, YOUR PERSONAL ASSISTANT Ask anything about astronomy, imaging, or equipment and get expert answers instantly. Astro AI recommends targets based on your location, gear, and the night's conditions, plus weather predictions built specifically for astronomical observing. FIND YOUR TARGETS AND YOUR SKY Use Target Finder and SkyView together with the FOV Image and Visual Framers to see exactly how a target will look through your telescope or camera before you head outside. Dark Sky Finder helps you locate the darkest nearby skies, and the Astro Calendar tracks moon phases and astronomical events. WEATHER & 10 DAY FORECAST MODELS Every astronomer has a keen eye for the weather - DeepSkyCentral Astro AI provides a summary of the current and upcoming conditions. Leverage the 10 day forecast with extensive data including cloud cover, seeing, transparency and dew predictions. And live radar (Pro subscription) FOV Calculator and Framer Find and frame your favorite targets with ease. See what your eyepiece or camera sees through your rig and frame your targets with ease. Create mosaics, and save directly to your personal Frame Library ( pro subscription). PLAN AND ORGANIZE EVERY SESSION Build Target Lists and Checklists, set up custom Equipment Profiles for your rigs, and use the Polar Alignment tool to get your mount dialed in fast. DeepSkyCentral's smart Session Planner and Session Diary (Pro Subscription) allows you to setup and record all your astro activity. Never miss a night, plan your sessions and get the most out of your astronomy journey. TARGET DATA Data includes best time of year to view or image a target, where the target is best viewable in the night sky, which filters to utilise, and detailed target summary. OVER 660,000 OBJECTS AND STARS Download specialized catalogue packs including the complete NGC/IC catalogue, the Washington Double Star Catalog, Sharpless HII regions for narrowband imaging, and a Gaia DR3 star field to magnitude 10 for precision framing and guiding — all available offline at your dark sky site. GO FURTHER WITH PRO Astro AI Pro, live satellite weather and cloud radar, live Aurora and Solar activity stats, the Astro Session Planner & Diary, an Image Library with plate solving, FITS file renaming and folder organization tools, unlimited locations and equipment profiles, and access to the Community Gallery and Dark Sky Location community sharing. EDUCATION AND KNOWLEDGE Extensive knowledgebase and terminology sections dive deep in the world of astronomy to help the beginner astronomer navigate through the night sky. Whether you're just starting to explore the night sky or refining an advanced astrophotography workflow, DeepSkyCentral brings everything you need into one place. Essentials and Pro are auto-renewing subscriptions, managed anytime in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internal/terms/itunes/dev/stdeula/
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Verdict
The clearest difference is price: DeepSkyCentral at Free against Galaxy Map's $12.99. DeepSkyCentral also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs monthly). Galaxy Map's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4). On ads, device support and iOS requirement 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
DeepSkyCentral is free to download; Galaxy Map costs $12.99 up front. DeepSkyCentral sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Galaxy Map asks for nothing beyond the download.
Galaxy Map ships an update monthly, DeepSkyCentral every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Galaxy Map | DeepSkyCentral |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $12.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.6 (70 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 84.4% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 70 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 836 MB | 133 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Andrei Nistorescu | Dean Stewart |
In-app purchases
Galaxy Map
No in-app purchases
DeepSkyCentral
- Essentials Monthly$1.991 Month
- Pro Monthly$3.591 Month
- Essentials Annual$19.991 Year
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- Pro Annual$35.991 Year
Questions
Is Galaxy Map free?
Is DeepSkyCentral free?
Do Galaxy Map or DeepSkyCentral have ads?
Which is updated more often, Galaxy Map or DeepSkyCentral?
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