# Celestia vs Nuke Simulator

The clearest difference is ads: Celestia at none against Nuke Simulator's shown. Celestia also leads on review sentiment (78% vs 51%) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). Nuke Simulator's advantage is ratings volume (1K vs 324). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Celestia sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days and Nuke Simulator sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Celestia against 4.5 for Nuke Simulator. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 324 and 1K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 78% of Celestia's written reviews are positive against 51% of Nuke Simulator's.

Celestia ships an update every 2 weeks, Nuke Simulator every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Celestia | Nuke Simulator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (324 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/celestia-space-simulator/id1500434829/reviews) | **[4.5 (1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nuke-simulator-blast-map/id1574158045/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 324 | **1K** |
| Positive reviews | **78.3% of reviews** | 50.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 545 MB | 26 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [林峰 李](https://appshunter.io/developer/1186547508) | [方元 朱](https://appshunter.io/developer/468596269) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Nuke Simulator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nuke-simulator-blast-map/id1574158045)

Simulate nuclear explosions to understand their destructive effects and calculate blast radii and fallout zones. Learn about historical weapons and their yields for educational and awareness purposes.

**Highlights:** Nuclear explosion simulation, Calculate blast radius, Estimate fallout zones, Analyze casualty numbers, Includes historical weapons data, Educational awareness tool

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| VIP Service | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Good games
- 🔍 Useful for testing nuclear blast effects
- 💡 Customizable bombs

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤑 Monetization issues (ads, paywalls)
- 🐛 Inaccurate casualty estimates
- 🤖 Buggy and unstable

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes and network errors
- Inconsistent casualty counts
- Compatibility issues on older devices

**Requested features**

- More bomb options and customization
- Improved accuracy of casualty estimates
- Reduce ads and monetization


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Celestia free?

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

### Is Nuke Simulator free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Celestia or Nuke Simulator?

Nuke Simulator is rated higher. Celestia averages 4.4 out of 5 from 324 ratings, while Nuke Simulator averages 4.5 from 1K ratings.

### Do Celestia or Nuke Simulator have ads?

Nuke Simulator shows ads; Celestia does not.

### Which is updated more often, Celestia or Nuke Simulator?

Celestia ships an update every 2 weeks, and Nuke Simulator every 2 months. Most recently, Celestia was updated on September 25, 2026 and Nuke Simulator on September 24, 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.*