# Galaxy Map vs Stellar Tour

The clearest difference is ads: Stellar Tour at none against Galaxy Map's shown. Stellar Tour also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly). Galaxy Map's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Galaxy Map sells 13 one-off in-app purchases and Stellar Tour sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Galaxy Map against 4.7 for Stellar Tour. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 609 and 1.7K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of Galaxy Map's written reviews are positive against 84% of Stellar Tour's.

Galaxy Map ships an update monthly, Stellar Tour fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Galaxy Map | Stellar Tour |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (609 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/galaxy-map/id1170905456/reviews) | **[4.7 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stellar-tour/id1197929178/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 609 | **1.7K** |
| Positive reviews | 79.8% of reviews | **83.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 632 MB | 570 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Andrei Nistorescu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1048905386) | [Aaron Day](https://appshunter.io/developer/1028872452) |

## What reviewers say

### Galaxy Map

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/galaxy-map/id1170905456)

Explore the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies in an interactive 3D map. Discover nebulae, supernovae, and planets, with stunning visuals based on NASA data. Ideal for education and space enthusiasts.

**Highlights:** Interactive 3D galaxy map, Explore nebulae and supernovae, Fly through planetary atmospheres, Land on planets, Based on NASA data, Available in 100+ languages

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Buy ship - Alien Destroyer | $0.99 | one-time |
| Buy ship - Alien fighter | $0.99 | one-time |
| Remove ads | $1.99 | one-time |
| Buy ship - Alien Destroyer | $1.99 | one-time |
| Buy ship - Alien fighter | $1.99 | one-time |
| 3D Visualization Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Buy ship - Dragon Frigate | $1.99 | one-time |
| Essentials bundle - SALE | $2.99 | one-time |
| Remove ads | $3.99 | one-time |
| 3D Visualization Pack | $3.99 | one-time |
| Ultimate bundle - SALE | $4.99 | one-time |
| Essentials bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Ultimate bundle | $8.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌌 Impressive 3D galaxy and nebula visualizations
- 🚀 Spaceship exploration feature with landing capability
- 📚 Educational content about space and astronomy
- 🎮 Fun and engaging gameplay mechanics
- ✨ No ads in free version

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Excessive paywall for most content
- 🐛 App crashes and fails to load
- 🎮 Poor control mechanics for flying and walking
- 🔍 Lack of zoom functionality or unclear controls
- 🌑 Black holes look too similar to each other

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on startup
- Explore button shows nothing
- Pinch-to-zoom doesn't work
- App won't load on iPad
- Text displays as boxes in language settings

**Requested features**

- Search button to find galaxies and objects
- More diverse and realistic black hole designs
- AR feature to identify stars/planets in real sky
- More free content and objects
- Exoplanet additions (TRAPPIST-1e, J1407B)


### Stellar Tour

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stellar-tour/id1197929178)

Explore the cosmos with an augmented reality stargazing app guided by an astrophysicist. Discover exoplanets, solar system bodies, and deep-sky objects with scientifically accurate narratives and detailed visuals.

**Highlights:** Augmented reality stargazing, Astrophysicist-guided tours, Detailed exoplanet information, High-resolution solar system visuals, Exploration of galaxies and nebulae, Interactive 3D planet and moon models

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads 1 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Upgrade: Lessons & Sky Tools | $3.99 | one-time |
| Cosmic Expansion | $9.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads 2 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads 3 | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 Amazing app
- 👍 Excellent for stargazing and learning
- 🔭 Helpful for identifying stars and constellations
- 🌌 Detailed information on planets and exoplanets
- 🎓 Great educational tool for all ages

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and glitches
- 🤔 Some features not intuitive or user-friendly
- 💰 Wish it was completely free without in-app purchases
- 🌍 Language localization could be improved

**Reported bugs**

- Login screen freezes
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
- Videos not playing offline as expected

**Requested features**

- Add support for viewing comets and other celestial events
- Improve AR functionality and integration
- Provide more detailed information on exoplanets
- Introduce a dark mode option for better visibility at night


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Galaxy Map free?

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

### Is Stellar Tour free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Galaxy Map or Stellar Tour?

Stellar Tour is rated higher. Galaxy Map averages 4.6 out of 5 from 609 ratings, while Stellar Tour averages 4.7 from 1.7K ratings.

### Do Galaxy Map or Stellar Tour have ads?

Galaxy Map shows ads; Stellar Tour does not.

### Which is updated more often, Galaxy Map or Stellar Tour?

Galaxy Map ships an update monthly, and Stellar Tour fortnightly. Most recently, Galaxy Map was updated on October 16, 2026 and Stellar Tour on October 8, 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.*