# Galaxy Map vs AR Orbits

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: AR Orbits at none against Galaxy Map's 13. AR Orbits also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.9 vs 4.6). Galaxy Map's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 18 months) and ratings volume (609 vs 11). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Galaxy Map sells 13 one-off in-app purchases. AR Orbits asks for nothing beyond the download.

AR Orbits holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Galaxy Map has 609 ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Galaxy Map's written reviews are positive against 100% of AR Orbits's.

Galaxy Map ships an update monthly, AR Orbits every 18 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Galaxy Map | AR Orbits |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (609 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/galaxy-map/id1170905456/reviews) | **[4.9 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ar-orbits/id1470324501/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **609** | 11 |
| Positive reviews | 79.8% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 18 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 601 MB | 58 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Andrei Nistorescu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1048905386) | [Turner Thornberry](https://appshunter.io/developer/1393266702) |

## 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)


### AR Orbits

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ar-orbits/id1470324501)

Explore the solar system and understand satellite mechanics through augmented reality. This app simplifies complex astrophysics concepts, allowing users to create and plot their own orbits, making rocket science accessible for learning and homework.

**Highlights:** Augmented reality exploration, Satellite mechanics simulation, Orbit plotting and creation, Astrophysics homework assistance, Solar system discovery

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Galaxy Map free?

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

### Is AR Orbits free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Galaxy Map or AR Orbits?

AR Orbits is rated higher. Galaxy Map averages 4.6 out of 5 from 609 ratings, while AR Orbits averages 4.9 from 11 ratings.

### Do Galaxy Map or AR Orbits have ads?

Galaxy Map shows ads; AR Orbits does not.

### Which is updated more often, Galaxy Map or AR Orbits?

Galaxy Map ships an update monthly, and AR Orbits every 18 months. Most recently, Galaxy Map was updated on October 12, 2026 and AR Orbits on September 23, 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.*