# PortalGate vs Pocket Rocket

The clearest difference is rating: Pocket Rocket at 4.5 against PortalGate's 3.7. Pocket Rocket also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 15 months) and ratings volume (521 vs 6). PortalGate's advantage is monetization model (free vs freemium) and iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PortalGate sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Pocket Rocket sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Pocket Rocket holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pocket Rocket has 521 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 44% of PortalGate's written reviews are positive against 52% of Pocket Rocket's.

PortalGate ships an update every 15 months, Pocket Rocket every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PortalGate | Pocket Rocket |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.7 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/portalgate/id1370406546/reviews) | **[4.5 (521 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-rocket/id1493916909/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 6 | **521** |
| Positive reviews | 44.4% of reviews | **52.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 15 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 184 MB | 702 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro | iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dilium](https://appshunter.io/developer/1270531532) | [Voyager Space Systems, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1493916908) |

## What reviewers say

### PortalGate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/portalgate/id1370406546)

Explore immersive 3D environments by stepping through digital portals placed in your physical space. Travel the world, tour real estate, and experience art in new ways. Supports 360° images and videos for customizable journeys.

**Highlights:** Mixed Reality Portals, 360° Image & Video Support, Virtual World Exploration, Real Estate Tours, Art & Museum Experiences, Customizable Scenes

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Space | $0.99 | one-time |


### Pocket Rocket

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-rocket/id1493916909)

Stay informed about all upcoming SpaceX rocket launches with real-time updates and reminders. View rocket models, livestream launches, and interact with rockets in AR. Never miss a historic moment in space exploration.

**Highlights:** Upcoming launch reminders, Launch date countdowns, Livestream launches, 3D and AR rocket models, Detailed launch updates, Historical launch viewing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pocket Rocket Plus | $2.99 | per month |
| Pocket Rocket Silver | $4.99 | per month |
| Pocket Rocket Gold | $9.99 | per month |
| Pocket Rocket Plus (Yearly) | $29.99 | per year |
| Pocket Rocket Silver (Yearly) | $44.99 | per year |
| Pocket Rocket Gold (Yearly) | $74.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Awesome AR features
- 👍 Beautiful and sleek design
- 🚀 Detailed rocket models
- 👍 Useful launch countdown and notifications

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes, especially with AR
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🔍 Lack of up-to-date launch information

**Reported bugs**

- AR feature crashes on launch
- Incorrect or outdated launch information
- Unreliable push notifications

**Requested features**

- Add support for other launch providers beyond SpaceX
- Improve reliability and accuracy of launch notifications
- Provide a 1:1 scale mode for AR rockets
- Develop an iPad-optimized version of the app


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PortalGate free?

PortalGate is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Pocket Rocket free?

Pocket Rocket is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, PortalGate or Pocket Rocket?

Pocket Rocket is rated higher. PortalGate averages 3.7 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Pocket Rocket averages 4.5 from 521 ratings.

### Do PortalGate or Pocket Rocket have ads?

Neither PortalGate nor Pocket Rocket shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PortalGate or Pocket Rocket?

PortalGate ships an update every 15 months, and Pocket Rocket every 2 months. Most recently, PortalGate was updated on October 24, 2026 and Pocket Rocket on October 21, 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.*