Comparison

GlobeViewer vs GPlates

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

Head to head
About

GlobeViewer

Explore Earth with a high-resolution 3D globe and topography maps. View surface, underwater, and topographical details, with real-time event overlays. Access extensive geographical data for offline use.

Highlights
  • Interactive 3D globe
  • High-resolution topography maps
  • Surface and underwater views
  • Real-time event overlays
  • Offline data caching
  • Extensive place names and geographical features
Features
Read full description

GlobeViewer is a high resolution 3D terrestrial globe with topography and surface maps. This app enables a high-quality view of the surface of our blue planet. It is divided into two areas: the rotatable, global view as an interactive globe and a high-resolution 3D map representation of the Earth's topography. - Interactive 3D globe with surface, underwater and topography maps - High-resolution 3D topography map set of the entire Earth's surface - divided into 22,912 individual tiles. You can load 110 different regions onto the interactive globe, which then present the many individual tiles in a meaningful, connected way and reload them automatically. The app initially only contains the textures for the globe in low resolution. All required downloads are automatically loaded from our server. A total of around 105 GB of data is available. The data remains in the cache on your device for offline use, but can be deleted at any time in the main menu. Furthermore, all events recorded by the GDACS, such as hurricanes, earthquakes, etc., are entered on the globe. The 3D topography map is based on the elevation data from the NASA Terra probe, which recorded 83° of the northern and southern hemispheres between 2000 and 2013 - this is the result of the ASTER3-DEM. With version 0.10.0, the map is enriched with around 7.5 million place names from geonames.org. This means that all the towns, mountains, lakes, deserts and many other geographical features entered there are shown on the map. From version 0.12.0, data from OpenStreetMaps (buildings, borders, streets...) is also available on the tiles - but only for the demos and the purchased maps. Use the tutorial in the app to get started quickly or read the manual to find out which functions are included in this app. Since the app is still under development, some functions may still change. We hope you enjoy using GlobeViewer!

About

GPlates

Explore Earth's geological history by reconstructing and visualizing spatial data through geological time. This tool offers an intuitive interface for students, teachers, researchers, and enthusiasts to understand our planet's evolution.

Highlights
  • Reconstruct spatial data
  • Visualize geological time
  • Intuitive interface
  • Explore Earth's history
  • Plate reconstruction software
Features
Read full description

The GPlates App is a powerful tool designed to enable users to reconstruct and visualise spatial data through geological time. Built on top of the acclaimed plate reconstruction software, GPlates, the App benefits from the feature-rich web APIs and the flexible software architecture of its underlying technology. With its intuitive interface and advanced capabilities, the GPlates App is an invaluable tool for anyone seeking to gain a deeper understanding of the Earth's geological history. Whether you are a student, teacher, researcher, or just a curious enthusiast, the GPlates App is the perfect tool to explore our ever-evolving planet.

Screenshots

GlobeViewer4 screens
GPlates4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: GlobeViewer at 3.4 against GPlates's 2.7. GlobeViewer also leads on update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 6 months) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). GPlates's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 11) and ads (none vs shown). On price, ratings volume 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. GlobeViewer sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. GPlates asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

GlobeViewer holds the better App Store score, 3.4 against 2.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 7 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 33% of GlobeViewer's written reviews are positive against 44% of GPlates's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

GlobeViewer ships an update every 6 weeks, GPlates every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on August 14, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
GlobeViewer versus GPlates: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGlobeViewerGPlates
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.4 (5 ratings) — better2.7 (7 ratings)
Positive reviews33.3% of reviews44.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings57 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeks — betterEvery 6 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size236 MB57 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRAB-SoftwareXiaodong Qin

Customer experience

GlobeViewer

All ratings5 ratings
Positive60.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative40.0%
Written reviews15 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%

GPlates

All ratings7 ratings
Positive42.9%
Neutral14.3%
Negative42.9%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive44.4%
Neutral22.2%
Negative33.3%

In-app purchases

11 purchases

GlobeViewer

One-time11
  • 4K & Polar Regions$0.99
  • 4K & South America$2.99
  • 4K & Pacific$2.99
Show 8 more
  • 4K & Japan/Korea/Taiwan$2.99
  • 8K & North America$4.99
  • 8K & Australia$4.99
  • 8K & China$4.99
  • 8K & Russia$4.99
  • 8K & Europe$4.99
  • 8K Pass$8.99
  • Professional Version$14.99
None

GPlates

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is GlobeViewer free?
GlobeViewer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is GPlates free?
GPlates is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, GlobeViewer or GPlates?
GlobeViewer is rated higher. GlobeViewer averages 3.4 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while GPlates averages 2.7 from 7 ratings.
Do GlobeViewer or GPlates have ads?
GlobeViewer shows ads; GPlates does not.
Which is updated more often, GlobeViewer or GPlates?
GlobeViewer ships an update every 6 weeks, and GPlates every 6 months. Most recently, GlobeViewer was updated on August 14, 2026 and GPlates on September 27, 2026.

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