Comparison

AIR & SPACE vs ISS Explorer

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

Head to head
About

AIR & SPACE

Features
Read full description

Discover the history of space exploration with the help of the NASA Image and Video Library, Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD - is a website provided by NASA and Michigan Technological University), NASA's Open Data Portal, Launch Library and OpenSky Network API (flight radar). - Greatest moments of the 65 space age; - NASA - Human Spaceflight: 1. Project Mercury; 2. The Gemini Program; 3. The Apollo Program; 4. Skylab; 5. Apollo Soyuz Test Project; 6. The Space Shuttle Missions List; 7. The Shuttle-Mir Program; 8. NASA astronauts; 9. Extra-vehicular Activity (EVA); 10. Unmanned NASA missions; - The Space Race; - Cold War Timeline; - List of upcoming rocket launches to space; - Dr. Wernher von Braun; - Cargo space vehicles; - The most powerful rockets; - International Space Station; - International Space Station Current Location (+ ISS Flight Tracker); - Air Shows Calendar (USA, Canada); - Where to see retired spacecrafts; - NASA Centers and Facilities; - List of aerospace museums (USA, United Kingdom, Canada, Countries of the European Union); - List of rocket launch sites; - A collection of NASA research aircraft; - The solar system; - The Best Places for Plane Spotting (USA, Canada, United Kingdom, Countries of the European Union); - List of airports (USA: large and medium);  - List of seaplane bases (USA);  - Balloon ports (USA); - Where to See Concorde; - Air Force Bases - Locations (USA); - The biggest Naval Bases in the US; - List of Airlines with liveries; - List of aircraft manufacturers, - List of all Airbus A380 and Boeing 747 Routes and Fleets; - How to Identify a Boeing from an Airbus; - Best Spaceflight and Space History Books; - 11 must-see space movies for anyone serious about space; - List of Astronauts,  - List of human spaceflights; - Aircraft detection; - Flight radar based on OpenSky Network API. All of them are available here in this mobile application. Save in your album the pictures you like.

About

ISS Explorer

Explore a detailed 3D model of the International Space Station. Rotate, zoom, and select individual components to learn about their function and systems. Organize your view by turning parts and labels on or off.

Highlights
  • Interactive 3D ISS model
  • Rotate and zoom functionality
  • Selectable parts with isolation
  • Detailed information on components
  • Hierarchical part organization
  • Toggle parts and labels
Features
Read full description

The ISS explorer is an interactive tool for exploring the parts and pieces of the International Space Station (ISS). The application allows the user to view a 3D model of the ISS, rotate it, zoom into it, and select different parts and pieces. When the application starts, you can see a view of the entire ISS with category labels. Tabs are available on the left hand side of the screen which allow you access to information, the hierarchy, settings and application information. From this point, you can zoom into the station, revealing more labels of visible parts. The station can also be rotated to view from different angles. If a part is selected, the part is isolated so that you can focus on the specific piece. The information tab shows information about the currently isolated part. Inside the hierarchy tab, you can turn parts on or off, turn labels for parts on or off, turn parts transparent, or select a part to focus on. The parts are organized in a hierarchy to allow for systems to be described and displayed. This includes things such as truss, modules, and external platforms. The Information tab shows information about the current isolated part, system, or the full ISS if the entire station is shown.

Screenshots

AIR & SPACE4 screens
ISS Explorer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ISS Explorer at Free against AIR & SPACE's $3.99. ISS Explorer also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). AIR & SPACE's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 10 months). On ads and in-app purchases 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

ISS Explorer is free to download; AIR & SPACE costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

AIR & SPACE ships an update weekly, ISS Explorer every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
AIR & SPACE versus ISS Explorer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAIR & SPACEISS Explorer
Price$3.99Free — better
Rating—4.9 (16 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—16 — better
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 10 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size96 MB747 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSergey SavitskiyNASA

In-app purchases

None

AIR & SPACE

No in-app purchases

None

ISS Explorer

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is AIR & SPACE free?
AIR & SPACE costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is ISS Explorer free?
ISS Explorer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do AIR & SPACE or ISS Explorer have ads?
Neither AIR & SPACE nor ISS Explorer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, AIR & SPACE or ISS Explorer?
AIR & SPACE ships an update weekly, and ISS Explorer every 10 months. Most recently, AIR & SPACE was updated on October 30, 2026 and ISS Explorer on October 24, 2026.

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