# SOS Explorer vs MEGA Lab AR

The clearest difference is update cadence: MEGA Lab AR at monthly against SOS Explorer's every 11 months. MEGA Lab AR also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and review sentiment (100% vs 86%). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

MEGA Lab AR holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 20 and 8 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of SOS Explorer's written reviews are positive against 100% of MEGA Lab AR's.

SOS Explorer ships an update every 11 months, MEGA Lab AR monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SOS Explorer | MEGA Lab AR |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sos-explorer/id1358724422/reviews) | **[5.0 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mega-lab-ar/id1526731710/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **20** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | 85.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 249 MB | 1.3 GB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [University of Colorado Boulder](https://appshunter.io/developer/972210292) | [Alexander Spengler](https://appshunter.io/developer/1526731712) |

## What reviewers say

### SOS Explorer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sos-explorer/id1358724422)

Explore interactive animated datasets of Earth and space phenomena, from planetary rings to climate change models. This app brings complex environmental processes to life in an intuitive and captivating way, making learning accessible anywhere.

**Highlights:** Streaming high-resolution datasets, Educational videos, User-guided tours, Analysis tools, 100+ datasets, Global and flat map views

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### MEGA Lab AR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mega-lab-ar/id1526731710)

Explore interactive 3D models of marine life overlaid onto printed targets using augmented reality. This educational tool brings a coral reef environment to your device, with more models planned for future updates.

**Highlights:** View 3D marine life models, Augmented reality interaction, Printable AR targets, Coral reef environment, 7 pre-loaded models

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SOS Explorer free?

SOS Explorer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is MEGA Lab AR free?

MEGA Lab AR is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, SOS Explorer or MEGA Lab AR?

MEGA Lab AR is rated higher. SOS Explorer averages 4.7 out of 5 from 20 ratings, while MEGA Lab AR averages 5.0 from 8 ratings.

### Do SOS Explorer or MEGA Lab AR have ads?

Neither SOS Explorer nor MEGA Lab AR shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SOS Explorer or MEGA Lab AR?

SOS Explorer ships an update every 11 months, and MEGA Lab AR monthly. Most recently, SOS Explorer was updated on October 9, 2026 and MEGA Lab AR on October 6, 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.*