Comparison

Galaxy Map vs The APOD Viewer

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

The APOD Viewer

Explore stunning daily astronomy images from NASA, complete with explanations from professional astronomers. Browse archives, save favorites, and engage with a community of space enthusiasts. Get daily notifications and customize your device with widgets.

Highlights
  • Daily NASA astronomy images
  • Astronomer explanations
  • Full archive browsing
  • Favorite entries
  • Home/Lock Screen widgets
  • Community discussion
  • Daily notifications
Features
Read full description

APOD Mate — NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day, every day Discover the universe one photograph at a time. APOD Mate brings you NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day — stunning imagery of galaxies, nebulae, planets, and more, each with an explanation written by professional astronomers. FOLLOW EACH DAY'S DISCOVERY - A gorgeous image of the day's astronomy picture, updated automatically - Browse the full archive and search or filter by date or title - "On this day" surfaces past entries and major moments in space history — Apollo, Sputnik, Hubble, JWST, and more MAKE IT YOURS - Favorite entries, synced instantly across every signed-in device - Home Screen, Lock Screen, and watchOS widgets keep today's picture one glance away - Share any entry straight from the app - An App Clip for quick, no-install previews JOIN THE CONVERSATION - Vote on entries and watch results update live - Comment and discuss with a moderated community - See what's trending, all-time or by time window NEVER MISS A DAY - Optional daily notification when a new entry goes live - New entries preload in the background so they're ready the instant you tap - Sign in with Apple, with full control to delete your account and data anytime Terms of Use (EULA): https://apm.darrenwood.codes/terms Privacy Policy: https://apm.darrenwood.codes/privacy

Screenshots

Galaxy Map4 screens
The APOD Viewer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: The APOD Viewer at none against Galaxy Map's shown. The APOD Viewer also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 weeks). Galaxy Map's advantage is ratings volume (613 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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 and The APOD Viewer sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

The APOD Viewer holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Galaxy Map has 613 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Galaxy Map ships an update every 3 weeks, The APOD Viewer every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Galaxy Map versus The APOD Viewer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGalaxy MapThe APOD Viewer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (613 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews79.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings613 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS15.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size655 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAndrei NistorescuDarren Wood

Customer experience

Galaxy Map

All ratings612 ratings
Positive91.2%
Neutral3.9%
Negative4.9%
Written reviews104 reviews
Positive79.8%
Neutral6.7%
Negative13.5%

The APOD Viewer

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

The APOD Viewer

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
3 purchases

The APOD Viewer

Subscriptions1
  • All Premium Features$0.991 Month
One-time2
  • Unlock HD Images$1.99
  • Unlock Seeing Forecast$1.99

Questions

Is Galaxy Map free?
Galaxy Map is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is The APOD Viewer free?
The APOD Viewer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Galaxy Map or The APOD Viewer?
The APOD Viewer is rated higher. Galaxy Map averages 4.6 out of 5 from 613 ratings, while The APOD Viewer averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Galaxy Map or The APOD Viewer have ads?
Galaxy Map shows ads; The APOD Viewer does not.
Which is updated more often, Galaxy Map or The APOD Viewer?
Galaxy Map ships an update every 3 weeks, and The APOD Viewer every 4 days. Most recently, Galaxy Map was updated on November 1, 2026 and The APOD Viewer on October 28, 2026.

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