# Celestia vs 3

The clearest difference is rating: 3 at 5.0 against Celestia's 4.4. 3 also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4) and review sentiment (100% vs 79%). Celestia's advantage is ratings volume (338 vs 3). On price, update cadence, 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. 3 asks for nothing beyond the download.

3 holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Celestia has 338 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of Celestia's written reviews are positive against 100% of 3's.

Celestia ships an update fortnightly, 3 monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Celestia | 3 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (338 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/celestia-space-simulator/id1500434829/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/3-body/id6642661687/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **338** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 78.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 550 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [林峰 李](https://appshunter.io/developer/1186547508) | [Cubic Insights LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1763432190) |

## 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


### 3

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/3-body/id6642661687)

Explore the wonders of gravity with this 2D N-body simulator. Experiment with celestial mechanics, create mesmerizing patterns, and customize your simulations. It's a fun and educational playground for anyone curious about physics.

**Highlights:** Simulate gravity interactions, Explore preset configurations, Customize body size, color, and trails, Educational and fun physics experiments, Create mesmerizing visual patterns

**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 3 free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Celestia or 3?

3 is rated higher. Celestia averages 4.4 out of 5 from 338 ratings, while 3 averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Celestia or 3 have ads?

Neither Celestia nor 3 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Celestia or 3?

Celestia ships an update fortnightly, and 3 monthly. Most recently, Celestia was updated on October 27, 2026 and 3 on October 22, 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.*