# Celestia vs AstroShort

The clearest difference is rating: AstroShort at 5.0 against Celestia's 4.4. AstroShort also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4). Celestia's advantage is ratings volume (331 vs 1). 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. AstroShort asks for nothing beyond the download.

AstroShort holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Celestia has 331 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Celestia ships an update every 2 weeks, AstroShort every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Celestia | AstroShort |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (331 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/celestia-space-simulator/id1500434829/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astroshort/id6779456978/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **331** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 79.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 545 MB | 117 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [林峰 李](https://appshunter.io/developer/1186547508) | [Edon Zogaj](https://appshunter.io/developer/1488603658) |

## 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


### AstroShort

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astroshort/id6779456978)

Explore the entire universe from your fingertips, flying between planets, moons, and even black holes. Dive deep into factual information sourced from NASA, with interactive real-world locations and animated scenes. Offers both an explorer and a kid-friendly mode for all ages.

**Highlights:** Interactive solar system exploration, Detailed planet and moon information, Real-world location exploration, Animated scenes and landmarks, Explorer and Kid modes, Offline functionality, User-submitted feature ideas

**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 AstroShort free?

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

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

AstroShort is rated higher. Celestia averages 4.4 out of 5 from 331 ratings, while AstroShort averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Celestia or AstroShort have ads?

Neither Celestia nor AstroShort shows ads.

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

Celestia ships an update every 2 weeks, and AstroShort every 3 weeks. Most recently, Celestia was updated on October 17, 2026 and AstroShort on October 16, 2026.

---

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