# Celestia vs AstroPhoto LTE

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: AstroPhoto LTE at none against Celestia's 4. Celestia's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 36 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

Celestia ships an update fortnightly, AstroPhoto LTE every 36 months. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Celestia | AstroPhoto LTE |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (341 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/celestia-space-simulator/id1500434829/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **341** | — |
| Positive reviews | 78.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 36 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 550 MB | 21 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 16.2 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [林峰 李](https://appshunter.io/developer/1186547508) | [Taylan Atasoy](https://appshunter.io/developer/1204464263) |

## 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


### AstroPhoto LTE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astrophoto-lte/id6470926558)

**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 AstroPhoto LTE free?

AstroPhoto LTE is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Celestia or AstroPhoto LTE have ads?

Neither Celestia nor AstroPhoto LTE shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Celestia or AstroPhoto LTE?

Celestia ships an update fortnightly, and AstroPhoto LTE every 36 months. Most recently, Celestia was updated on November 7, 2026 and AstroPhoto LTE on October 27, 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.*