# Celestia vs ESA aeolus

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ESA aeolus at none against Celestia's 4. ESA aeolus also leads on iOS requirement (10.0 vs 16.0). Celestia's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 4 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Celestia ships an update fortnightly, ESA aeolus every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Celestia | ESA aeolus |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (338 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/celestia-space-simulator/id1500434829/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **338** | — |
| Positive reviews | 78.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 550 MB | 152 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **10.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [林峰 李](https://appshunter.io/developer/1186547508) | [ESA - European Space Agency](https://appshunter.io/developer/429660009) |

## 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


### ESA aeolus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/esa-aeolus/id1584780880)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Celestia free?

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

### Is ESA aeolus free?

ESA aeolus is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Celestia or ESA aeolus have ads?

Neither Celestia nor ESA aeolus shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Celestia or ESA aeolus?

Celestia ships an update fortnightly, and ESA aeolus every 4 months. Most recently, Celestia was updated on October 27, 2026 and ESA aeolus on October 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.*