# Earth Science Explorer vs Project SPECTRA!

The clearest difference is price: Project SPECTRA! at Free against Earth Science Explorer's $1.99. Earth Science Explorer's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 33 months) and device support (3 vs 1). On ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Project SPECTRA! is free to download; Earth Science Explorer costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Earth Science Explorer ships an update every 2 months, Project SPECTRA! every 33 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Earth Science Explorer | Project SPECTRA! |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 33 months |
| Size | 57 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | 12.0 |
| Devices | **iPad, Mac, Apple TV** | iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ventura Educational Systems](https://appshunter.io/developer/371324172) | [University of Colorado Boulder](https://appshunter.io/developer/972210292) |

## What reviewers say

### Earth Science Explorer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/earth-science-explorer/id1248941619)

**In-app purchases:** none


### Project SPECTRA!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/project-spectra/id1561634722)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Earth Science Explorer free?

Earth Science Explorer costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Project SPECTRA! free?

Project SPECTRA! is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Earth Science Explorer or Project SPECTRA! have ads?

Neither Earth Science Explorer nor Project SPECTRA! shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Earth Science Explorer or Project SPECTRA!?

Earth Science Explorer ships an update every 2 months, and Project SPECTRA! every 33 months. Most recently, Earth Science Explorer was updated on October 29, 2026 and Project SPECTRA! on October 27, 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.*