# ARGEO Sandbox vs Celestia

The clearest difference is rating: Celestia at 4.4 against ARGEO Sandbox's 3.7. Celestia also leads on ratings volume (324 vs 3) and device support (4 vs 1). ARGEO Sandbox's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and review sentiment (100% vs 78%). On price, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Celestia sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. ARGEO Sandbox asks for nothing beyond the download.

Celestia holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Celestia has 324 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of ARGEO Sandbox's written reviews are positive against 78% of Celestia's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

ARGEO Sandbox ships an update weekly, Celestia every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on June 7, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ARGEO Sandbox | Celestia |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/argeo-sandbox/id1473927969/reviews) | **[4.4 (324 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/celestia-space-simulator/id1500434829/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **324** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 78.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 41 MB | 545 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Avatech Innovation Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1473927968) | [林峰 李](https://appshunter.io/developer/1186547508) |

## What reviewers say

### ARGEO Sandbox

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/argeo-sandbox/id1473927969)

Explore terrain, water flow, snow, and lava simulations in augmented reality. This app enhances real-world experiences with instant interaction and now offers live streaming to multiple tablets.

**Highlights:** Augmented reality terrain simulation, Water flow, snow, and lava effects, Live streaming to multiple tablets, Instant real-world interaction, Compatible with ARGEO Sandbox 4.0

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Celestia

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/celestia-space-simulator/id1500434829)

Explore the universe in real-time 3D. Visit planets, moons, star clusters, and galaxies, viewing them from any point in space and time. Customize your experience with expandable content and detailed simulations.

**Highlights:** Real-time 3D space visualization, Explore planets, moons, stars, galaxies, Accurate solar system object positions, Interactive planetarium mode, Expandable content with add-ons, Customizable celestial databases

**Features:** Game Controller support, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Celestia PLUS (Weekly) | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| Celestia PLUS (Monthly) | $1.99 | per month |
| Celestia PLUS (Yearly) | $19.99 | per year |
| Celestia PLUS (Lifetime) | $79.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐ Realistic space simulation
- 🌌 Ability to explore galaxies and star systems
- 🔍 Detailed planet and moon textures
- 📷 Great for taking screenshots
- 🤖 Reminds users of Space Engine

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and glitches
- 🌌 Limited exploration beyond Milky Way and Andromeda
- 🌍 Flat terrain on planets
- 🔍 Lack of detail on some celestial objects
- 🔒 Paywall for some features

**Reported bugs**

- Milky Way and other galaxy textures not loading properly
- Crashes when using certain add-ons
- Issues with planet and moon orbits not being accurate

**Requested features**

- Add more exoplanets and distant star systems
- Implement terrain generation for planets
- Expand to include more galaxies and the overall universe structure
- Add support for black holes, pulsars, and other exotic objects
- Improve controls and camera movement


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ARGEO Sandbox free?

ARGEO Sandbox is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Celestia free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ARGEO Sandbox or Celestia?

Celestia is rated higher. ARGEO Sandbox averages 3.7 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Celestia averages 4.4 from 324 ratings.

### Do ARGEO Sandbox or Celestia have ads?

Neither ARGEO Sandbox nor Celestia shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ARGEO Sandbox or Celestia?

ARGEO Sandbox ships an update weekly, and Celestia every 2 weeks. Most recently, ARGEO Sandbox was updated on June 7, 2026 and Celestia on September 25, 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.*