Comparison

SOS Explorer vs NOAA Exhibits

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

Head to head
About

SOS Explorer

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
Read full description

SOS Explorer (SOSx) Mobile is a free, flat screen mobile app version of the popular NOAA Science On a Sphere (SOS). This revolutionary software takes SOS datasets, usually only seen on a 6-foot sphere in large museum spaces, and makes them accessible, portable, and interactive anywhere. SOSx Mobile can immerse the user in animated images such as Saturn’s rings, atmospheric storms, climate change, and ocean temperatures to help explain sometimes complex environmental processes in a way that is intuitive, captivating, interactive, and entertaining. A desktop version, called SOS Explorer, is also available. Thank you for using SOS Explorer (SOSx) Mobile. We are committed to continually improving our software and providing you with an engaging and educational experience. We hope you enjoy the new features and enhancements in version 1.2! Please continue to share your feedback with us as we work on improvements. We appreciate your patience and support. Features include: • Streaming, high-resolution datasets • Educational videos • User-guided tours • Analysis tools • 100+ datasets • Global and flat map views Sample datasets: • Recent Hurricane Seasons • Bird Migration • Earthquake Activity • Snow and Ice • Ocean Currents • Historical Tsunamis • Facebook Friendships • Air Traffic • Planets of the Solar System • Climate Change Models • 360 Underwater Imagery • Narrated Movies • ...and so much more!

About

NOAA Exhibits

Features
Read full description

Download the NOAA Exhibits app when visiting the Treasures of NOAA’s Ark exhibit (currently at the Navy museum in Washington, D.C.) or the Gateway to NOAA in Silver Spring, Maryland. Access videos, photos, and stories about NOAA’s heritage, highlighting 200 years of science, service, and stewardship. About NOAA The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration formed in 1970, but it’s roots are much older, beginning with Thomas Jefferson and the founding of Survey of the Coast in 1807. Today, NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in climate, weather, oceans, and coasts, to share that knowledge and information with others, and to conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and resources.

Screenshots

SOS Explorer4 screens
NOAA Exhibits4 screens

Verdict

The call

SOS Explorer and NOAA Exhibits are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 11 months. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
SOS Explorer versus NOAA Exhibits: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSOS ExplorerNOAA Exhibits
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (20 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews85.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings20 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 11 monthsEvery 11 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size249 MB16 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperUniversity of Colorado BoulderNational Marine Sanctuary Foundation

In-app purchases

None

SOS Explorer

No in-app purchases

None

NOAA Exhibits

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SOS Explorer free?
SOS Explorer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is NOAA Exhibits free?
NOAA Exhibits is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do SOS Explorer or NOAA Exhibits have ads?
Neither SOS Explorer nor NOAA Exhibits shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SOS Explorer or NOAA Exhibits?
SOS Explorer ships an update every 11 months, and NOAA Exhibits every 11 months. Most recently, SOS Explorer was updated on October 9, 2026 and NOAA Exhibits on October 4, 2026.

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