NEOscan vs Pocket Planets
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
NEOscan
Explore near-Earth objects like asteroids and comets. Visualize their positions relative to Earth and the Moon, and understand their sizes through familiar comparisons. Data is sourced from NASA's Small Body Database.
- Discover asteroids and comets
- Filter by type, approach time, distance, and diameter
- Earth-Moon model visualization
- Size comparison to familiar objects
- Data from NASA's Small Body Database
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This app helps you discover near-Earth objects (NEOs). Filter by their type (asteroid or comet), closest approach time, closest distance, and diameter. For each NEO, the app shows you an Earth-Moon model with the asteroid (or comet) indicated at the proper location. The app also helps you understand the NEO's size by comparing it to a familiar object. The data on NEOs is provided by NASA's Small Body Database (SBDB) and SBDB Close-Approach Data APIs.
Pocket Planets
Explore our solar system with detailed information on planets, moons, and astronauts. Track who is currently in space and receive notifications for new launches. Access NASA images and compare celestial body characteristics.
- Detailed planet and moon data
- Astronaut information and missions
- Real-time space occupancy
- Launch notifications
- NASA image gallery
- Celestial body comparisons
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Pocket Planets gives you all the information you need about our solar system and human activity in space. Learn more about all 565 astronauts who been to space. What was their mission? How long had they been up there? See who is in space now! Get notified when somebody goes into space. Get up to date information about every planet and moon in the solar system. Including: - Physical characteristics: mass, radius, density, gravity, escape velocity - Orbital characteristics: real-time distance from the Sun and Earth, orbital period, orbital speed, eccentricity, apsis, periapsis, visualise orbit - Atmosphere: pressure, atmospheric composition - Images from Nasa - Moons: compare their size and distance
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Pocket Planets at 4.6 against NEOscan's 2.7. Pocket Planets also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 12 months) and review sentiment (67% vs 50%). NEOscan's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Pocket Planets holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 22 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of NEOscan's written reviews are positive against 67% of Pocket Planets's.
NEOscan ships an update every 12 months, Pocket Planets every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | NEOscan | Pocket Planets |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.7 (7 ratings) | 4.6 (22 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | 66.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 7 | 22 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 12 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Ad-supported |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 12.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 37 MB | 66 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Carlos Anderson | Ad Lunam Kereskedelmi es Szolgaltato Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag |
Customer experience
NEOscan
Pocket Planets
In-app purchases
NEOscan
No in-app purchases
Pocket Planets
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is NEOscan free?
Is Pocket Planets free?
Which has better reviews, NEOscan or Pocket Planets?
Do NEOscan or Pocket Planets have ads?
Which is updated more often, NEOscan or Pocket Planets?
Other comparisons
