# Celestia vs Shock Diamonds

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Shock Diamonds at none against Celestia's 4. Shock Diamonds also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs fortnightly). Celestia's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

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

Celestia ships an update fortnightly, Shock Diamonds every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Celestia | Shock Diamonds |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 550 MB | 15 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [林峰 李](https://appshunter.io/developer/1186547508) | [Viacheslav Gilevich](https://appshunter.io/developer/1541198784) |

## 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


### Shock Diamonds

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shock-diamonds/id6749603019)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Celestia free?

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

### Is Shock Diamonds free?

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

### Do Celestia or Shock Diamonds have ads?

Neither Celestia nor Shock Diamonds shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Celestia or Shock Diamonds?

Celestia ships an update fortnightly, and Shock Diamonds every 4 days. Most recently, Celestia was updated on October 27, 2026 and Shock Diamonds on October 12, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*