ISS Explorer vs College Tool
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ISS Explorer
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.
- Interactive 3D ISS model
- Rotate and zoom functionality
- Selectable parts with isolation
- Detailed information on components
- Hierarchical part organization
- Toggle parts and labels
Read full descriptionHide full description
The ISS explorer is an interactive tool for exploring the parts and pieces of the International Space Station (ISS). The application allows the user to view a 3D model of the ISS, rotate it, zoom into it, and select different parts and pieces. When the application starts, you can see a view of the entire ISS with category labels. Tabs are available on the left hand side of the screen which allow you access to information, the hierarchy, settings and application information. From this point, you can zoom into the station, revealing more labels of visible parts. The station can also be rotated to view from different angles. If a part is selected, the part is isolated so that you can focus on the specific piece. The information tab shows information about the currently isolated part. Inside the hierarchy tab, you can turn parts on or off, turn labels for parts on or off, turn parts transparent, or select a part to focus on. The parts are organized in a hierarchy to allow for systems to be described and displayed. This includes things such as truss, modules, and external platforms. The Information tab shows information about the current isolated part, system, or the full ISS if the entire station is shown.
College Tool
Plan your college education around your earned military benefits. This app helps military families estimate tuition, housing, and book costs covered by the GI Bill® and other programs. Build phased plans, compare scenarios, and understand your financial path to higher education.
- Build multi-phase college plans
- Estimate GI Bill® coverage for tuition, housing, and books
- Stack multiple benefit chapters
- Account for combined-cap and outer-ceiling rules
- Apply Forever GI Bill® housing rules
- Compare stateside vs. overseas housing
- Save plans as PDF
Read full descriptionHide full description
College Tool shows a military family how the Post-9/11 GI Bill®, Chapter 35 DEA, the Fry Scholarship and the Yellow Ribbon Program fit into one plan: which benefit is used when, one after another, and what that order changes. The order a family uses its VA education benefits in can change the total by thousands of dollars. College Tool maps that order, phase by phase, across a real college plan: stateside, overseas, or both in sequence. And it shows its work. Every rate in College Tool points back to its official VA source, so a family can check it and do the math themselves. College Tool is built from official sources but is not an official source itself, and it cannot cover every case, so use it as a starting point for your plan. VA decides eligibility and benefits: confirm your plan with VA and your School Certifying Official, and read the sources that apply to you. REAL HOUSING MATH The GI Bill housing allowance (the BAH-based monthly housing allowance, or MHA) runs off the school's zip code, on currently published rates. A cost-of-living estimator sits beside it, with rent, food, transportation, utilities and the rest, so a family can see whether the housing allowance covers real living costs before committing to a school. SCHOOL SEARCH Browse any state, or type a school, a city, or the short name families actually use: FSU, UGA, Ole Miss. Every VA-approved school in the list carries its housing figure, its Yellow Ribbon participation, and any VA caution flag, with a link to that school on the VA Comparison Tool. BUILT FOR MILITARY FAMILIES Service members deciding whether to transfer the Post-9/11 GI Bill to a spouse or child, military spouses and dependents using transferred benefits, children and spouses of the fallen on the Fry Scholarship, and families with Chapter 35 DEA. For a survivor with both Fry and DEA, the plan follows VA's rule for using the two, by the date of the death. FREE TO START - College Tool is free to download and use with no account, and five states are fully searchable free: Georgia, Kentucky, Colorado, South Carolina and Oklahoma. - The GI Bill and Fry Scholarship math, transferred GI Bill benefits, and your own scholarships, in those five states. - The cost-of-living estimator, school search in those five states, and a printed plan with every official reference, for your records and review. - Every figure linked to its official VA source. THE FULL PLANNER, ONE PURCHASE A one-time purchase unlocks the full phase approach. It does not renew. - The phase approach: plan the order your benefits are used, one after another, phase by phase, across a real college plan. - Every state and the top 50 overseas options, all compiled so you are not researching each rate by hand. - Chapter 35 (DEA) benefits. - With Family Sharing, the people in your Apple family group can use it too. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No account. No tracking. What you type stays on your phone unless you share it. Independent planning tool from We Got You 1776, LLC. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or the U.S. Department of Defense. Not financial, legal, tax, or benefits advice. GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at benefits.va.gov/gibill. Terms of Use: https://terms.wegotyou1776.com Privacy Policy: https://privacy.wegotyou1776.com
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ISS Explorer at none against College Tool's 1. ISS Explorer also leads on ratings volume (16 vs 4) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). College Tool's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 10 months). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads 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. College Tool sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $17.99 per year. ISS Explorer asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for ISS Explorer against 5.0 for College Tool. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 16 and 4 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
ISS Explorer ships an update every 10 months, College Tool every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 13, 2026.
| Parameter | ISS Explorer | College Tool |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (16 ratings) | 5.0 (4 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 16 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Every 10 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 747 MB | 12 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | NASA | We Got You 1776 LLC |
Customer experience
ISS Explorer
College Tool
In-app purchases
ISS Explorer
No in-app purchases
College Tool
- Premium Annual$17.991 Year
Questions
Is ISS Explorer free?
Is College Tool free?
Which has better reviews, ISS Explorer or College Tool?
Do ISS Explorer or College Tool have ads?
Which is updated more often, ISS Explorer or College Tool?
Other comparisons















