Comparison

Galaxy Map vs GPlates

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

GPlates

Explore Earth's geological history by reconstructing and visualizing spatial data through geological time. This tool offers an intuitive interface for students, teachers, researchers, and enthusiasts to understand our planet's evolution.

Highlights
  • Reconstruct spatial data
  • Visualize geological time
  • Intuitive interface
  • Explore Earth's history
  • Plate reconstruction software
Features
Read full description

The GPlates App is a powerful tool designed to enable users to reconstruct and visualise spatial data through geological time. Built on top of the acclaimed plate reconstruction software, GPlates, the App benefits from the feature-rich web APIs and the flexible software architecture of its underlying technology. With its intuitive interface and advanced capabilities, the GPlates App is an invaluable tool for anyone seeking to gain a deeper understanding of the Earth's geological history. Whether you are a student, teacher, researcher, or just a curious enthusiast, the GPlates App is the perfect tool to explore our ever-evolving planet.

Screenshots

Galaxy Map4 screens
GPlates4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Galaxy Map at 4.6 against GPlates's 2.7. Galaxy Map also leads on review sentiment (80% vs 44%) and update cadence (monthly vs every 6 months). GPlates's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 13) and ads (none vs shown). On price, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Galaxy Map holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Galaxy Map has 609 ratings behind it against 7, 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 44% of GPlates's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Galaxy Map ships an update monthly, GPlates every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Galaxy Map versus GPlates: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGalaxy MapGPlates
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (609 ratings) — better2.7 (7 ratings)
Positive reviews79.8% of reviews — better44.4% of reviews
Number of ratings609 — better7
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 6 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size632 MB57 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAndrei NistorescuXiaodong Qin

Customer experience

Galaxy Map

All ratings609 ratings
Positive91.1%
Neutral3.9%
Negative4.9%
Written reviews104 reviews
Positive79.8%
Neutral6.7%
Negative13.5%

GPlates

All ratings7 ratings
Positive42.9%
Neutral14.3%
Negative42.9%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive44.4%
Neutral22.2%
Negative33.3%

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

GPlates

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

GPlates

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Galaxy Map free?
Galaxy Map is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is GPlates free?
GPlates is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Galaxy Map or GPlates?
Galaxy Map is rated higher. Galaxy Map averages 4.6 out of 5 from 609 ratings, while GPlates averages 2.7 from 7 ratings.
Do Galaxy Map or GPlates have ads?
Galaxy Map shows ads; GPlates does not.
Which is updated more often, Galaxy Map or GPlates?
Galaxy Map ships an update monthly, and GPlates every 6 months. Most recently, Galaxy Map was updated on October 16, 2026 and GPlates on September 27, 2026.

Other comparisons