Stars and Planets vs GalacticAR
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Stars and Planets
Explore the cosmos in a 3D universe simulator powered by NASA and ESA data. Journey to millions of stars, land on exoplanets, and delve into the mysteries of black holes and pulsars. Discover breathtaking landscapes and gain knowledge from cutting-edge space research.
- 3D universe simulation
- Spacecraft flight simulation
- Exoplanet exploration
- Gas giant atmosphere exploration
- Black hole and pulsar exploration
- Extensive astronomical database
- Multi-language support
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Experience the captivating wonders of the cosmos with 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. 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 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 7400 exoplanets, 205 circumstellar disks, 32868 black holes, 3344 pulsars and over 150 moons in our Solar System ▶ 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
GalacticAR
Explore the cosmos with interactive 3D models and immersive scenes. Test your astronomy knowledge with over 300 quiz questions covering celestial bodies and phenomena. Learn about planets, stars, galaxies, and more in multiple languages.
- 300 astronomy quiz questions
- 121 astronomical topics encyclopedia
- 43 interactive 3D models
- 16 immersive outer space scenes
- 9 main astronomical categories
- 6 supported languages
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Dear travellers through time and space! Need any help in navigating the vastness of the cosmos? Fear not, GalacticAR has got you covered. Explore and learn about the universe, from small comets, to our solar system, to clusters of galaxies. Immerse yourself in stunning experiences that will leave you breathless. Test your knowledge by taking the quiz, where 300 astronomy questions of various difficulty levels await you. GalacticAR is a comprehensive catalog of astronomical objects and topics, brought to life through 3D models and scenes, and gamified with an engaging astronomy quiz. Features: • 300 quiz questions to test and expand your knowledge • 121 astronomical topics in the encyclopedia • 43 interactive 3D models • 16 immersive outer space scenes, from the Solar System to galaxies. • 9 main categories: Comets, Asteroids, Moons, Planets, Solar System, Stars, Black Holes, Galaxies, and Universe. • 8 Game Center achievements to collect • 3 Game Center leaderboards to compete in • 6 languages (English, German, French, Spanish, Japanese and Simplified Chinese) • Made for Vision Pro, iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV and Apple Watch. No matter if you are a space nerd or just curious about the universe, download GalacticAR today and start exploring!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: GalacticAR at none against Stars and Planets's shown. GalacticAR also leads on device support (6 vs 3). Stars and Planets's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.5) and ratings volume (1.2K vs 116). On price, review sentiment, update cadence 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
Both are free to download. Stars and Planets sells 11 one-off in-app purchases and GalacticAR sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Stars and Planets holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Stars and Planets has 1.2K ratings behind it against 116, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 89% of Stars and Planets's written reviews are positive against 88% of GalacticAR's.
Stars and Planets ships an update every 2 weeks, GalacticAR every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Stars and Planets | GalacticAR |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (1.2K ratings) — better | 4.5 (116 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 88.7% of reviews — better | 87.5% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1.2K — better | 116 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Every 4 weeks |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 757 MB | 224 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Andrei Nistorescu | Vielfalt Software e.U. |
Customer experience
Stars and Planets
GalacticAR
Bugs and requests
Stars and Planets
Reported bugs
3 issues- Planets sometimes have incorrect or glitched textures
- Occasional freezing or crashing when navigating
- Difficulty landing on or interacting with smaller celestial objects
Requested features
5 requests- Add more diverse planet types and landscapes
- Implement a more robust search and filtering system
- Include other galaxies, nebulae, and deep space objects
- Allow for custom solar system/galaxy creation
- Introduce multiplayer and collaborative exploration
GalacticAR
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Stars and Planets
- Buy ship - Dragon Frigate SALE$0.99
- Alien Destroyer SALE$0.99
- Alien fighter SALE$0.99
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- Buy ship - Alien Destroyer$1.99
- Buy ship - Alien fighter$1.99
- Buy ship - Dragon Frigate$1.99
- Remove ads - SALE$1.99
- Remove ads$3.99
- Essentials bundle2 variants$4.99
- Ultimate bundle SALE$4.99
- Ultimate bundle$8.99
GalacticAR
- Full Version$4.99
- Support the Developer$4.99
- Full Version + Support the Dev$9.99
Questions
Is Stars and Planets free?
Is GalacticAR free?
Which has better reviews, Stars and Planets or GalacticAR?
Do Stars and Planets or GalacticAR have ads?
Which is updated more often, Stars and Planets or GalacticAR?
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