# ISS Explorer vs Space Station Tracker

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ISS Explorer at 100% against Space Station Tracker's 50%. ISS Explorer also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.6) and update cadence (every 10 months vs every 20 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

ISS Explorer holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 16 and 5 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of ISS Explorer's written reviews are positive against 50% of Space Station Tracker's.

ISS Explorer ships an update every 10 months, Space Station Tracker every 20 months. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ISS Explorer | Space Station Tracker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iss-explorer/id1429876038/reviews)** | [4.6 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/space-station-tracker/id1673123826/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **16** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 months** | Every 20 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 747 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [NASA](https://appshunter.io/developer/355542146) | [Jaimeson Bilodeau](https://appshunter.io/developer/426891054) |

## What reviewers say

### ISS Explorer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iss-explorer/id1429876038)

Explore a detailed 3D model of the International Space Station. Rotate, zoom, and select individual components to learn about their function and systems. Organize your view by turning parts and labels on or off.

**Highlights:** Interactive 3D ISS model, Rotate and zoom functionality, Selectable parts with isolation, Detailed information on components, Hierarchical part organization, Toggle parts and labels

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Space Station Tracker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/space-station-tracker/id1673123826)

Follow the International Space Station's live location on a globe and get alerts for visible flyovers at your exact location. Features a compass view to help you spot it in the sky.

**Highlights:** Real-time ISS location tracking, Globe view with orbital trajectory, Upcoming visible flyover alerts, GPS-based viewing calculations, Compass view for sky spotting, Azimuth and elevation details

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ISS Explorer free?

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

### Is Space Station Tracker free?

Space Station Tracker is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, ISS Explorer or Space Station Tracker?

ISS Explorer is rated higher. ISS Explorer averages 4.9 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while Space Station Tracker averages 4.6 from 5 ratings.

### Do ISS Explorer or Space Station Tracker have ads?

Neither ISS Explorer nor Space Station Tracker shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ISS Explorer or Space Station Tracker?

ISS Explorer ships an update every 10 months, and Space Station Tracker every 20 months. Most recently, ISS Explorer was updated on October 13, 2026 and Space Station Tracker on October 4, 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.*