Starmap vs Celestial Simulation
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Starmap
Explore the night sky with a comprehensive star atlas. Identify celestial objects, track comets and asteroids, and access detailed information on stars, constellations, and lunar features. Includes live solar physics data and a red night-vision mode for stargazing.
- Extensive star and object catalogues
- Live solar physics data
- Detailed lunar features
- Real-time comet and asteroid tracking
- Telescope and eyepiece simulation
- Red night-vision mode
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Point your phone at the sky and see what's there — stars, planets, constellations, the northern lights. Starmap works completely offline, anywhere, with no signal. Built by a professional astronomer and given freely. No ads. No subscriptions. No in-app purchases. No tracking of any kind. Everything is unlocked from the first launch. AURORA AND NORTHERN LIGHTS Live aurora forecasts from NOAA, with the Kp index, the three-day outlook and the auroral oval for both hemispheres. Know whether tonight is worth staying up for. OUT WITH THE FAMILY Hold the phone up and it names whatever you're looking at. An arrow guides you to any planet, star or constellation. Every catalogue is stored on the device, so it works in the mountains, at sea, or anywhere without a signal. THE SUN AND THE MOON Sunspots, flares and X-ray flux, live from NOAA. 9,900 named lunar features with their origins and etymologies. Rise, transit and set times for everything, which you can send to your calendar. FOR SERIOUS OBSERVERS 2.5 million stars stored offline, down to magnitude 15. The full Messier, NGC, IC and Caldwell catalogues, plus Sharpless, van den Bergh, Lynds, Barnard and Abell clusters. Live comets, asteroids and trans-Neptunian objects from the Minor Planet Center. Deep-sky records enriched on demand from SIMBAD, searchable by any catalogue identifier. AT THE EYEPIECE Define your telescope, eyepieces and camera, and see the true field of view you'll actually get, with Telrad rings and reticles. A full red night-vision mode for use in the dark. The whole sky in your pocket — free, because that is what it should be.
Celestial Simulation
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Celestial Simulation Experience the universe as it truly moves. Celestial Simulation is a high-fidelity, physics-based app that lets you explore and understand celestial motion through real simulations—not animations or guesses. Every event is driven by time, location, and real celestial mechanics. From eclipses and planetary motion to lunar occultations and chaotic three-body dynamics, the app turns complex astronomy into intuitive, visual experiences. Observer-Based Simulation Your location matters. Set your observing position on Earth and watch how celestial events change with latitude, longitude, and time. Every simulation adapts instantly to your chosen place and moment. Solar System Geometry Explore the mechanics of the inner solar system: - Annular and hybrid solar eclipses with umbra and antumbra geometry - Planetary conjunctions and minimum angular separations - Mercury and Venus elongations for optimal visibility - Retrograde motion visualized over days and weeks - Transits of Mercury and Venus across the solar disk Most simulations are continuous and time-accurate. Lunar Occultations See how the Moon moves through the sky: - Occultations of bright stars and planets - Local and global visibility bands - Geometry that explains why an event is visible from certain locations Three-Body Dynamics Go beyond classical orbits and explore real gravitational complexity: - Circular Restricted Three-Body Problem (CR3BP) - Lagrange points L1–L5 with stability insights - Chaotic motion in non-rotating frames - Extreme sensitivity to initial conditions - These simulations reveal how real spaceflight dynamics and celestial chaos work. Special Focus: Total Solar Eclipse 2026 (Europe) A total solar eclipse will cross Europe in 2026 — a rare and unforgettable event. Celestial Simulation lets you explore the full path of totality, simulate eclipse geometry from different locations, and understand how timing and position affect what you will see. Use the simulation to: - Compare observing locations across Europe - Visualize eclipse paths and shadow motion - Plan where and when to experience totality Whether you are preparing a journey or simply exploring the mechanics behind the event, the app helps you understand why the eclipse unfolds the way it does. Built for Exploration - Interactive time control - Clean, focused visualizations - Designed for learners, enthusiasts, and curious minds - No clutter, no gimmicks—just the universe in motion Celestial Simulation is a pocket laboratory for understanding how the sky actually works. Whether you’re learning, teaching, or simply fascinated by celestial mechanics, this app lets you see the physics behind the beauty.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Starmap at Free against Celestial Simulation's $3.99. Celestial Simulation's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10). On ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Starmap is free to download; Celestial Simulation costs $3.99 up front. Starmap sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Celestial Simulation asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | Starmap | Celestial Simulation |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $3.99 |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 77.4% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 18.5 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 110 MB | 88 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Fredd | Dung Le |
In-app purchases
Starmap
- What Happens when Galaxies Collide?$0.99
- Wandering the Summer Sky$0.99
- Exploring the Crab Nebula$0.99
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- 10h8'22", 11°58'2"$0.99
- The Star That Should Not Exist$0.99
- Un océan d'étoiles$0.99
- Esculape$0.99
- Sur le dos du cheval ailé$0.99
- L'étoile qui ne devrait pas exister$0.99
- Vieillesse prématurée à Galaxie-Ville$0.99
Celestial Simulation
No in-app purchases





