Comparison

Pocket Planets vs Mars

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

Head to head
About

Pocket Planets

Explore our solar system with detailed information on planets, moons, and astronauts. Track who is currently in space and receive notifications about new launches. Discover physical and orbital characteristics, atmospheric data, and view NASA images.

Highlights
  • Detailed planet and moon data
  • Astronaut mission information
  • Real-time space tracking
  • Launch notifications
  • NASA image gallery
  • Orbital characteristic visualization
Features
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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

About

Mars

Explore Mars with stunning visuals and interactive features. Discover NASA photos, watch HD videos of Curiosity's journey, and examine 3D models of Martian landscapes and hardware. This app offers a premium, immersive experience for space enthusiasts.

Highlights
  • Browse NASA photos of Mars
  • Watch HD videos of Curiosity's journey
  • Interactive 3D models of Martian topography
  • Smart search and discovery
  • Cinematic slideshow of Mars imagery
  • Modern, animated interface
Features
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Humanity’s fascination with the Red Planet has never been stronger. With the completely reimagined "Mars: Curiosity" app, we bring the frontiers of space exploration directly to your fingertips through a premium, state-of-the-art experience. Witness Mars as if you were standing on its dusty plains. Our latest update introduces a stunning modern interface featuring glassmorphism elements, dynamic background animations, and an overall design language inspired by the future of space travel. WHAT’S NEW & REIMAGINED: SMART SEARCH & DISCOVERY: Quickly find exactly what you’re looking for with our new global search feature in both the Browse and Video sections. IMMERSIVE VIDEO EXPERIENCE: Watch Curiosity’s journey in high-definition with our all-new video player. Now supporting landscape mode for a true cinema feel, smart autoplay with preview protection, and an elegant Apple TV-inspired layout. MODERN DESIGN SYSTEM: Experience a "alive" interface with subtle stars animations, glass-like cards, and haptic feedback that makes exploring feel tactile and premium. KEY FEATURES: EXPLORE (BROWSE): Navigate through hundreds of official NASA photos with ease. Toggle between grid and list views, shuffle your findings, and search specifically for the missions that interest you most. CINEMATIC SLIDESHOW: Lose yourself in the Martian landscape. Browse full-screen, high-resolution imagery that makes you feel truly present on the planet. HD VIDEO ARCHIVE: Dive deep into Gale Crater, learn about Curiosity’s historic achievements, and explore over 50 years of Martian research through curated video content. INTERACTIVE GALLERY: Examine every detail with intuitive pinch-to-zoom gestures and high-contrast viewing modes. 3D MODELS: Step into the third dimension with interactive models that bring Martian topography and hardware to life. Whether you are a casual observer or a dedicated space enthusiast, Mars: Curiosity provides a compact, powerful, and visually stunning window into the future of our species on another world.

Screenshots

Pocket Planets4 screens
Mars4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pocket Planets at none against Mars's 1. Pocket Planets also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 months) and ratings volume (22 vs 2). Mars's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.6). On price, ads, monetization model 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. Mars sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Pocket Planets asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Mars holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pocket Planets has 22 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pocket Planets ships an update every 3 weeks, Mars every 6 months. Both last shipped on November 7, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Pocket Planets versus Mars: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPocket PlanetsMars
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (22 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings22 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 6 months
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supportedAd-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size48 MB107 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperAd Lunam Kereskedelmi es Szolgaltato Korlatolt Felelossegu TarsasagAlparslan Topbas

Customer experience

Pocket Planets

All ratings22 ratings
Positive86.4%
Neutral4.5%
Negative9.1%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral16.7%
Negative16.7%

Mars

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Pocket Planets

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Mars

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$1.99

Questions

Is Pocket Planets free?
Pocket Planets is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Mars free?
Mars is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Pocket Planets or Mars?
Mars is rated higher. Pocket Planets averages 4.6 out of 5 from 22 ratings, while Mars averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Pocket Planets or Mars have ads?
Both Pocket Planets and Mars show ads.
Which is updated more often, Pocket Planets or Mars?
Pocket Planets ships an update every 3 weeks, and Mars every 6 months. Most recently, Pocket Planets was updated on November 7, 2026 and Mars on November 7, 2026.

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