Comparison

Cosmic Atlas vs DLR COMETS

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

Head to head
About

Cosmic Atlas

Explore a vast, scientifically rendered universe with lifelike exoplanets and detailed celestial bodies. Navigate through trillions of light years with multiple exploration modes, from first-person flight to telescopic identification. Discover and learn about thousands of planets beyond our solar system.

Highlights
  • Explore 5,000+ lifelike exoplanets
  • Navigate 180 trillion sq light years
  • Six interstellar travel modes
  • First-person planet view
  • Scientifically accurate renderings
  • Telescope identification mode
  • Detailed planet information panels
Read full description

Go beyond star gazing. Visit nearly 5,000 lifelike exoplanets and navigate 180 trillion square light years of the universe beyond our solar system. Featuring 6 modes of interstellar travel and examination, Cosmic Atlas is an open-world space exploration app for those who look up at the night sky and wonder what we may find in the infinite frontier of the universe. Try it free and fly anywhere in the solar system plus six bonus planetary systems for a total of 50+ stunning planets, moons, and dwarf planets. Upgrade for all the incredible planets and features to explore every corner of the Milky Way mapped by NASA, JPL, ESA, and other international space programs. ::::: VISIT THOUSANDS OF PLANETS ::::: First-person view of 4,987 recently discovered exoplanets with stunning 3D models featuring detailed atmospheres and surfaces using science-driven artist renderings, including: [•] Potentially habitable Earth-like planets in the Habitable Zone that can support liquid water [•] Hot terrestrial planets closer to the system's star with landscapes from windswept sands to volcanic infernos or oppressive Venus-like atmospheres [•] Cold terrestrial planets past the habitable zone covered with rocks, frozen deserts, or sheets of ice [•] Jovian gas giants with colorful cloud layers based on the elements visible in the upper atmosphere at different temperatures [•] Neptunian ice giants with outer clouds that appear glassy smooth or enveloped with strings of cool clouds ::PLUS:: High resolution planets, moons, and dwarf planets in our own Solar System created from enhanced NASA mission images ::::: MASSIVE OPEN COSMIC ENVIRONMENT ::::: [•] Over 180 trillion square light years of the Milky Way ready to explore at it’s true scale [•] 116,000+ unique stars individually colored to match their true color temperature in blue, yellow, or red spectrums [•] 3,710 unique planetary systems with confirmed exoplanets [•] Scientifically accurate star positions and luminosity to see what the night sky looks like from distant worlds [•] Data-rich information panels to learn about planet attributes, parent system, discovery method, and research programs credited with its discovery [•] Flag stars and planets to easily revisit later ::::: SIX EXPLORATION MODES ::::: [New!] Telescope :: to point your phone at the sky to identify planets, stars, and distant planetary systems Pilot :: with first person flight controls and autopilot to lock trajectory toward a selected destination Orbit :: to easily navigate systems and rotate or zoom in to examine planets Navigator :: to find nearby systems and planets or revisit saved planets Database :: to browse the complete catalog find new exoplanets, planetary systems, and stars Search :: to find specific stars and exoplanets or nearby planets, moons, and dwarf planets in our solar system ::::: SETTINGS ::::: HDR Lighting :: Active by default, HDR lighting shows realistic relative brightness of stars and planets. Toggle HDR off for consistent lighting with stars and the Milky Way always visible in the background. Systems Only :: Enable to hide labels for stars without exoplanets in Pilot, Navigator, & Telescope modes. Objects with Info Only :: Enable to hide labels for stars without detailed data available. ::::: DATA SOURCES ::::: Using the latest exoplanet data from programs by NASA and the European Space Agency, Cosmic Atlas is a true-to-scale 3D environment where users can freely explore our small section Milky Way galaxy and examine thousands of newly discovered stars and exoplanets. The latest planetary system data is collected from a number of public research programs, including the University of Puerto Rico's Planetary Habitability Laboratory and the NASA Exoplanet Archive, which is operated by the California Institute of Technology, under contract with NASA under the Exoplanet Exploration Program.

About

DLR COMETS

Explore the Rosetta mission to Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko through an interactive exhibition. Discover the science behind comets and the historic Philae lander touchdown. Relive this exceptional spaceflight adventure with multimedia content.

Highlights
  • Interactive comet model
  • Mission highlights and photographs
  • Historical background on comets
  • Rosetta mission science
  • Philae lander touchdown details
  • Personal stories from the mission
Features
Read full description

The European Rosetta mission arrived at Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in August 2014 after a 10-year journey through space. Three months later, the Philae robotic lander touched down on the comet – the first probe to do so in the history of humankind. It was a fantastic scientific adventure and an exceptional spaceflight project. The German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) takes you on a journey to the origins of the Solar System with this exhibition app “DLR COMETS - The Rosetta mission: Journey to the origin of the Solar System”. The centrepiece of the exhibition is a model of comet 67P/Churymov-Gerasimenko based on data from Rosetta’s OSIRIS camera system, surrounded by backlit photographs of the comet and mission highlights. Additionally to the historical and technical background on comets as important building blocks of the Solar System, the Rosetta mission and its scientific achievements to date, the exhibition includes film-clips highlighting the personal stories of the men and women that made Rosetta a reality and the deep emotions evoked by involvement in the mission.

Screenshots

Cosmic Atlas4 screens
DLR COMETS4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Cosmic Atlas at 59% against DLR COMETS's 0%. DLR COMETS's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (8.1 vs 14.0). On price, update cadence, ads 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. Cosmic Atlas sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. DLR COMETS asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Cosmic Atlas versus DLR COMETS: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCosmic AtlasDLR COMETS
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (65 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews58.5% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings65 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.08.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size147 MB416 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCosmic Atlas LLCDLR German Aerospace Center e.V.

Customer experience

Cosmic Atlas

All ratings63 ratings
Positive63.5%
Neutral7.9%
Negative28.6%
Written reviews41 reviews
Positive58.5%
Neutral12.2%
Negative29.3%

DLR COMETS

Written reviews2 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Bugs and requests

Cosmic Atlas

Reported bugs

8 issues
  • App crashes upon opening
  • Kicked out of the game
  • Cannot connect to server
  • Error that doesn't let user in
  • Planets brighten up unexpectedly
Show 3 more
  • Dark side of planets brightens up
  • Cannot buy upgrades
  • App became free after purchase, now requires new purchase for features

Requested features

7 requests
  • Add more solar system objects
  • Fix Haumea's shape
  • Add more candidates, dwarf moons, hypothetical objects, spacecrafts, anomalies, random asteroids, meteoroids, and comets
  • Add ability to go into planets and see a preview
  • Add more galaxies to travel to
Show 2 more
  • Add a search page/bar
  • Add control for enlarging text

DLR COMETS

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Cosmic Atlas

One-time1
  • Premium Features$0.99
None

DLR COMETS

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Cosmic Atlas free?
Cosmic Atlas is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is DLR COMETS free?
DLR COMETS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Cosmic Atlas or DLR COMETS have ads?
Neither Cosmic Atlas nor DLR COMETS shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cosmic Atlas or DLR COMETS?
Cosmic Atlas ships an update every 3 weeks, and DLR COMETS every 3 weeks. Most recently, Cosmic Atlas was updated on October 21, 2026 and DLR COMETS on October 24, 2026.

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