DrakeEQ vs EPIC
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Drake Equation calculator
- Interactive 7 parameter manipulation
- Beautiful 3D galaxy visualizations
- Galaxene Galaxy Engine
- Educational and entertaining simulator
- Universe exploration
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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.
EPIC
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.
- 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
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EPIC – NASA Explorer Explore the universe with NASA — every day. EPIC brings together the best public NASA media in one app: the daily Astronomy Picture of the Day, Mars rover photos, Hubble and James Webb images, Earth views from space, and curated NASA video collections. Browse, search, save favorites, and dive deeper into the missions that inspire us. TODAY Start each day with NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day — stunning images with clear explanations. EXPLORE Browse themed collections: Mars rovers, Apollo, Artemis, Hubble, James Webb, eclipses, launches, and more. Young Explorers adds NASA videos and STEM activities for curious minds of all ages. SEARCH Search the NASA Image Library and discover photos and videos across decades of space exploration. FAVORITES Save images you love and build your own space archive. NASA LIVE Watch NASA’s live stream when available. Built for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro — one app for daily inspiration and deep exploration.
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Verdict
The clearest difference is price: EPIC at Free against DrakeEQ's $0.99. EPIC also leads on rating (5.0 vs 2.7) and update cadence (monthly vs every 5 months). DrakeEQ's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (3 vs 1). On ads 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
EPIC is free to download; DrakeEQ costs $0.99 up front. EPIC sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. DrakeEQ asks for nothing beyond the download.
EPIC holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 1 respectively.
DrakeEQ ships an update every 5 months, EPIC monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | DrakeEQ | EPIC |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 2.7 (3 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 37.5% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 3 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.5 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 8 MB | 10 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Onomaly LLC | William Keene |
Customer experience
DrakeEQ
EPIC
In-app purchases
DrakeEQ
No in-app purchases
EPIC
- Lifetime Unlock$4.99









