Comparison

DrakeEQ vs 天球模擬器

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

DrakeEQ

Explore the possibility of extraterrestrial life with a visually stunning calculator based on the Drake Equation. This app allows you to manipulate the equation's parameters and visualize galaxies in motion, offering an educational and entertaining experience.

Highlights
  • Drake Equation calculator
  • Interactive 7 parameter manipulation
  • Beautiful 3D galaxy visualizations
  • Galaxene Galaxy Engine
  • Educational and entertaining simulator
  • Universe exploration
Features
Read full description

Are we alone? We created DrakeEQ to provide a visually elegant answer to the extraterrestrial question, using the intellectually elegant Drake Equation. We coupled this fun calculator with beautiful, 3D galaxies in motion! To help us celebrate 15 years since the first release in 2009, DrakeEQ 7.0.0 now features our Galaxene Galaxy Engine! Use this fun simulator to graphically quantify the number of advanced extraterrestrial civilizations in our Milky Way Galaxy. Travel the Universe and explore infinitely variable galaxies! Just pinch anywhere and tap the targeting indicator. Perform thought experiments with this unique visual tool; it’s both educational and entertaining. Learn about the famous Drake Equation through direct manipulation of its 7 parameters with DrakeEQ. The Drake Equation states that: N = the number of civilizations in our galaxy with which communication might be possible where: R* = the average rate of star formation in our galaxy fp = the fraction of those stars that have planets ne = the average number of planets that can potentially support life per star that has planets fℓ = the fraction of the above that actually go on to develop life at some point fi = the fraction of the above that actually go on to develop intelligent life fc = the fraction of civilizations that develop a technology that releases detectable signs of their existence into space L = the length of time such civilizations release detectable signals into space. Drake Equation. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.

About

天球模擬器

Features
Read full description

Astronomy Teaching System is an interactive application designed for learning and exploring basic astronomy. Through visual simulations, it helps users intuitively understand complex celestial geometry and the patterns of celestial motion. Core Features: • Celestial Sphere and Diurnal Motion Simulation: Observe the celestial coordinate system with support for toggling Right Ascension RA and Declination Dec grid lines. Users can freely adjust the observer's latitude 90°N to 90°S via a slider to see real-time changes in the starry sky and stellar tracks at different latitudes. • Dual Perspectives and Relative Motion: Provides Earth Rotation and Celestial Rotation modes, allowing you to thoroughly understand the principles of diurnal motion from different reference frames. You can tap stars on the screen to hide or show specific celestial bodies. • Solar Path through the Seasons: Explore the changing position of the sun on the ecliptic. Use an intuitive date slider 1/1 to 12/31 to observe changes in solar altitude angles and daylight tracks during the equinoxes and solstices. • Space and Earth Mode Toggle: In Space Mode, view Earth's orbital path and axial tilt in the solar system from a bird's-eye perspective. In Earth Mode, view the daily solar path in the local sky from an observer's first-person perspective. • Rotation and Revolution Control: Supports independent toggling of Earth's rotation and revolution, with an acceleration feature for quick demonstrations of long-term astronomical changes. This application offers intuitive touch-to-zoom and perspective adjustment features, making it an ideal supplementary learning tool for students, educators, and astronomy enthusiasts.

Screenshots

DrakeEQ4 screens
天球模擬器4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: 天球模擬器 at Free against DrakeEQ's $0.99. 天球模擬器 also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 5 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.5). On ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

天球模擬器 is free to download; DrakeEQ costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DrakeEQ ships an update every 5 months, 天球模擬器 every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
DrakeEQ versus 天球模擬器: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDrakeEQ天球模擬器
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating2.7 (3 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews37.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.513.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB19 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOnomaly LLCHan-Chiang Chou

In-app purchases

None

DrakeEQ

No in-app purchases

None

天球模擬器

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is DrakeEQ free?
DrakeEQ costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is 天球模擬器 free?
天球模擬器 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do DrakeEQ or 天球模擬器 have ads?
Neither DrakeEQ nor 天球模擬器 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DrakeEQ or 天球模擬器?
DrakeEQ ships an update every 5 months, and 天球模擬器 every 3 days. Most recently, DrakeEQ was updated on October 24, 2026 and 天球模擬器 on October 16, 2026.

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