# Celestia vs EPIC

The clearest difference is rating: EPIC at 5.0 against Celestia's 4.4. Celestia's advantage is ratings volume (338 vs 1) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

EPIC 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 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Celestia ships an update fortnightly, EPIC monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Celestia | EPIC |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (338 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/celestia-space-simulator/id1500434829/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/epic-nasa-explorer/id6761562062/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **338** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 78.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 550 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [林峰 李](https://appshunter.io/developer/1186547508) | [William Keene](https://appshunter.io/developer/1836616486) |

## 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


### EPIC

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/epic-nasa-explorer/id6761562062)

Discover stunning daily images from NASA, including the Astronomy Picture of the Day, Mars rover photos, and views from Hubble and James Webb. Explore curated collections, search the NASA Image Library, and save your favorite space discoveries. Watch live NASA streams and engage with STEM activities for all ages.

**Highlights:** Daily Astronomy Picture of the Day, Mars rover and Earth views, Hubble and James Webb images, Themed NASA mission collections, Searchable NASA Image Library, Save favorite images, NASA live stream

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lifetime Unlock | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Celestia free?

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

### Is EPIC free?

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

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

EPIC is rated higher. Celestia averages 4.4 out of 5 from 338 ratings, while EPIC averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Celestia or EPIC have ads?

Neither Celestia nor EPIC shows ads.

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

Celestia ships an update fortnightly, and EPIC monthly. Most recently, Celestia was updated on October 27, 2026 and EPIC on October 9, 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.*