Comparison

Galaxy Map vs ESA aeolus

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

Head to head
About

Galaxy Map

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
Read full description

The galaxy map is an interactive map of the Milky Way galaxy, Andromeda and their satellite galaxies. Explore the Orion Arm's nebulae and supernovae from the comfort of your spaceship. Fly through the atmosphere of Mars and many other planets and you can even land on them. Discover the galaxy in a stunning three dimensional map based on NASA's artistic impression of the Milky Way galactic structure. Photos are taken by NASA spacecraft and ground based telescopes like Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra X-Ray, Herschel Space Observatory and the Spitzer Space Telescope. This interactive 3D map is excellent for teachers to use for instruction, and it is a great astronomy resource for students to explore the Milky Way galaxy and space as they learn more about the universe we live in. Available in over 100 languages! You can also From the outskirts of the galaxy, in the Norma-Outer spiral arm to the galactic center's supermassive black hole Sagittarius A*, discover a galaxy full of amazing facts. Notable structures included: the Pillars of Creation, Helix Nebula, the Engraved Hourglass Nebula, the Pleiades, the Orion Arm (where the solar system and the Earth are located) with its Orion belt. Check out neighboring dwarf galaxies such as Sagittarius and the Canis Major Overdensity, stellar streams as well as internal galactic components such as a variety of nebulae, star clusters or supernovae. Explore space and get a little closer to our wonderful universe with this awesome astronomy app! The Galaxy Map requires internet access to retrieve information from the wiki.

About

ESA aeolus

Features
Read full description

This application is a gateway to knowing what the ESA Aeolus mission is about, how it works and what the elements of the space and ground segment that makes this mission unique are. It includes also a dedicated section that allows one to discover and visualize real ESA Aeolus measurements over our planet: a remarkable tool for students and scientists engaged in using Aeolus products or interested in satellite engineering. Features: - Description of the ESA Aeolus mission: space and ground segment - Large selection of photos and videos on a wide range of topics related to Aeolus - Latest mission operations news - Striking Aeolus 3D model with explanations of the different platform and payload elements - World map with orbit position of the ESA satellite - Satellite visibility over selected ground stations and local position - Automatic update of the Aeolus orbit - Impressive visualization of real Aeolus measurements over the Earth with vertical profiles and easy geographical localization - Access to several geophysical parameters measured by the satellite … and much more In the 3D environment: - swipe/pinch to rotate/zoom the scene or the satellite model - triple touch to reset position

Screenshots

Galaxy Map4 screens
ESA aeolus4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ESA aeolus at none against Galaxy Map's 13. ESA aeolus also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 15.0). Galaxy Map's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months). On price 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. Galaxy Map sells 13 one-off in-app purchases. ESA aeolus asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Galaxy Map ships an update monthly, ESA aeolus every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Galaxy Map versus ESA aeolus: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGalaxy MapESA aeolus
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (610 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews79.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings610 — better—
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 4 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.010.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size632 MB152 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAndrei NistorescuESA - European Space Agency

Bugs and requests

Galaxy Map

Reported bugs

9 issues
  • 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
Show 4 more
  • Mars moon orbital speed incorrect
  • App kicks users out during exploration
  • Loading issues and incomplete functionality
  • Inconsistent performance across platforms

Requested features

18 requests
  • 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)
Show 13 more
  • Ability to click on stars within galaxies for details
  • Generated planets around stars
  • Sandbox/creation mode for user-generated content
  • Animation for Milky Way and Andromeda
  • More galaxy variety in the app
  • Coordinates filter for objects
  • Space-Engine style gameplay
  • Flying through galaxies feature
  • More female character customization options
  • VIP version option
  • Brown dwarfs addition
  • Photosphere viewing mode
  • More detailed star information

ESA aeolus

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

13 purchases

Galaxy Map

One-time13
  • Buy ship - Alien Destroyer$0.99
  • Buy ship - Alien fighter$0.99
  • Remove ads$1.99
Show 10 more
  • Buy ship - Alien Destroyer$1.99
  • Buy ship - Alien fighter$1.99
  • 3D Visualization Pack$1.99
  • Buy ship - Dragon Frigate$1.99
  • Essentials bundle - SALE$2.99
  • Remove ads$3.99
  • 3D Visualization Pack$3.99
  • Ultimate bundle - SALE$4.99
  • Essentials bundle$4.99
  • Ultimate bundle$8.99
None

ESA aeolus

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Galaxy Map free?
Galaxy Map is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ESA aeolus free?
ESA aeolus is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Galaxy Map or ESA aeolus have ads?
Galaxy Map shows ads; ESA aeolus does not.
Which is updated more often, Galaxy Map or ESA aeolus?
Galaxy Map ships an update monthly, and ESA aeolus every 4 months. Most recently, Galaxy Map was updated on October 21, 2026 and ESA aeolus on October 18, 2026.

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