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 for new launches. Access NASA images and compare celestial body characteristics.

Highlights
  • Detailed planet and moon data
  • Astronaut information and missions
  • Real-time space occupancy
  • Launch notifications
  • NASA image gallery
  • Celestial body comparisons
Features
Read full description

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

Features
Read full description

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 update cadence: Pocket Planets at every 3 weeks against Mars's every 32 months. Pocket Planets also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pocket Planets ships an update every 3 weeks, Mars every 32 months. The most recent releases landed on September 8, 2026 and September 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Pocket Planets versus Mars: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPocket PlanetsMars
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (22 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings22 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 32 months
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supported—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size66 MB108 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperAd Lunam Kereskedelmi es Szolgaltato Korlatolt Felelossegu TarsasagAlparslan Topbas

In-app purchases

None

Pocket Planets

No in-app purchases

None

Mars

No in-app purchases

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 no in-app purchases.
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 32 months. Most recently, Pocket Planets was updated on September 8, 2026 and Mars on September 11, 2026.

Other comparisons