Comparison

StarMap 3D vs MeteorActive

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

Head to head
About

StarMap 3D

Explore the night sky with this astronomy guide. It uses your device's sensors to identify planets, constellations, and deep sky objects in real-time. Discover detailed information about celestial bodies and visualize the universe in 3D.

Highlights
  • Real-time celestial object identification
  • Augmented reality night sky view
  • Detailed information on stars and deep sky objects
  • Constellation artwork and line options
  • Location-based celestial mapping
  • 3D universe visualization
Features
Read full description

Use your iPhone's compass and gyroscope to find planets, constellations, and more with crisp, colorful, high-definition Retina graphics that use every pixel of your iPhone! Hold the universe in your pocket! • Try StarMap 3D Plus for iPad support, more stars, thousands of Deep Sky Objects, and original constellation artwork. StarMap 3D is the portable star atlas for beginners or advanced astronomers. Use StarMap 3D to find the planets, stars, constellations, star clusters, galaxies, and nebulae visible to you based on your location and time. StarMap 3D will even use the compass to automatically align the map! • Retina Display Compatibility • Over 15,000 stars, with detailed information for each of them • 303 deep sky objects, with details such as distance from Earth, diameter, apparent size and orientation, and morphology • All 88 modern constellations, with lines based on the outlines from "The Stars: A New Way to See Them" by H.A. Rey • MacRobert and Classic constellation lines also available • Location-based-services (LBS) / Global Positioning System (GPS) support, or manually enter your longitude and latitude • Adjustable date and time of day • Also adjust time instantaneously and interactively with the Time Scroll feature • Compass support, if present • Planetarium Mode for seeing only objects visible to you, or browse the entire celestial sphere • 3D Mode for visualizing the universe in three dimensions

About

MeteorActive

Get accurate meteor shower forecasts based on your location, moon phase, and light pollution. Discover major events, upcoming nights, and hourly estimates for the best viewing opportunities.

Highlights
  • Major events calendar
  • Upcoming nights predictions
  • Hour-by-hour estimates
  • Meteor showers reference
  • Location-based accuracy
  • Moon interference calculation
  • Light pollution consideration
Features
Read full description

The most accurate meteor activity forecast • Major events calendar • Upcoming nights predictions • Hour-by-hour estimates • Meteor showers reference Meteor activity varies greatly from one night to another. Most of the time you can expect to see 3-15 meteors per hour, but several times per year this number could rise to 90, or even more! The MeteorActive app uses the latest scientific findings and cutting edge technology to calculate how many meteors you can see at given time. It takes into account your geographical location, meteoroid stream orbits, moon interference and light pollution to find the most spectacular events for you. Clear skies!

Screenshots

StarMap 3D4 screens
MeteorActive4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: MeteorActive at Free against StarMap 3D's $1.99. MeteorActive also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3). StarMap 3D's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence 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

MeteorActive is free to download; StarMap 3D costs $1.99 up front. StarMap 3D sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. MeteorActive asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for StarMap 3D against 4.8 for MeteorActive. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.4K and 2.3K respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 89% and 89% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
StarMap 3D versus MeteorActive: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStarMap 3DMeteorActive
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating4.8 (1.4K ratings)4.8 (2.3K ratings)
Positive reviews88.7% of reviews88.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.4K2.3K — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size111 MB33 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSanville SoftwareAlexander Vasenin

Customer experience

StarMap 3D

All ratings1,369 ratings
Positive96.7%
Neutral1.1%
Negative2.2%
Written reviews274 reviews
Positive88.7%
Neutral2.2%
Negative9.1%

MeteorActive

All ratings2,310 ratings
Positive96.6%
Neutral2.1%
Negative1.3%
Written reviews89 reviews
Positive88.8%
Neutral5.6%
Negative5.6%

User reviews

StarMap 3D

From 1.4K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Accurate mapping of stars and planets
  • 👍 Easy to use and navigate
  • 💡 Useful for learning about the night sky
  • 🌟 Provides a great stargazing experience
  • 🔭 Helpful for amateur astronomers

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional inaccuracies in mapping
  • 🧭 Compass/directional issues
  • 🌌 Limited information on deep sky objects
  • 🕰️ Time slider could be more intuitive

MeteorActive

From 2.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🌟 Amazing app with great features
  • 👍 User-friendly and intuitive interface
  • 🔭 Detailed and accurate information on meteor showers
  • 💫 Stunning visualizations and animations
  • 🆓 Free and ad-free app

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
  • 🕰️ Missing notifications for upcoming events
  • 🗺️ Lacking location-based features
  • 🔍 Could use more detailed instructions and explanations

Bugs and requests

StarMap 3D

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Calendar integration issues
  • Incorrect positioning of celestial bodies

Requested features

4 requests
  • Improved 3D mode and controls
  • More detailed information on planets, stars, and galaxies
  • Alerts for upcoming astronomical events
  • Option to search for specific celestial objects

MeteorActive

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes when trying to access certain features
  • Charts and visualizations not updating correctly
  • Inconsistent performance on older devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add notification system for meteor showers
  • Integrate with calendar app for easy scheduling
  • Provide more location-specific data and recommendations
  • Expand coverage to include more minor meteor showers

In-app purchases

3 purchases

StarMap 3D

One-time3
  • Constellation Artwork$0.99
  • More Stars$0.99
  • More Stars$1.99
None

MeteorActive

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is StarMap 3D free?
StarMap 3D costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is MeteorActive free?
MeteorActive is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, StarMap 3D or MeteorActive?
StarMap 3D and MeteorActive are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1.4K and 2.3K ratings respectively.
Do StarMap 3D or MeteorActive have ads?
Neither StarMap 3D nor MeteorActive shows ads.
Which is updated more often, StarMap 3D or MeteorActive?
StarMap 3D ships an update every 6 weeks, and MeteorActive every 6 weeks. Most recently, StarMap 3D was updated on September 22, 2026 and MeteorActive on September 20, 2026.

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