Comparison

StarMap 3D vs 3D Star Map

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

3D Star Map

Explore over 700 stars in our local star cluster in a 3D space simulation. Zoom, rotate, and learn about neighboring star systems with detailed information available on tap. Perfect for research or satisfying cosmic curiosity.

Highlights
  • 3D space exploration
  • Over 700 local stars
  • Detailed star information
  • Zoom, rotate, and move
  • Relaxing animations
  • Educational content
Features
Read full description

Explore the local cluster with over 700 stars around our Sun! Zoom, rotate, and move through the 3D space surrounding our solar system, and learn about our neighboring star systems. Tap on a star for detailed information about it, or just wander through space with beautiful and relaxing animations. Whether you're using it for research or just to feed your insatiable curiosity, the 3D Star Map is here to help you learn more about our place in the universe!

Screenshots

StarMap 3D4 screens
3D Star Map4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: 3D Star Map at Free against StarMap 3D's $1.99. 3D Star Map also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 weeks). StarMap 3D's advantage is ratings volume (1.4K vs 10) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

StarMap 3D holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: StarMap 3D has 1.4K ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 89% of StarMap 3D's written reviews are positive against 100% of 3D Star Map's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

StarMap 3D ships an update every 6 weeks, 3D Star Map every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
StarMap 3D versus 3D Star Map: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStarMap 3D3D Star Map
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating4.8 (1.4K ratings) — better4.5 (10 ratings)
Positive reviews88.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.4K — better10
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.012.0
Further details — not scored
Size111 MB100 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSanville SoftwareAlexander Winn

Customer experience

StarMap 3D

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

3D Star Map

All ratings9 ratings
Positive88.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative11.1%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

3D Star Map

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

StarMap 3D

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

3D Star Map

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is StarMap 3D free?
StarMap 3D costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is 3D Star Map free?
3D Star Map is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, StarMap 3D or 3D Star Map?
StarMap 3D is rated higher. StarMap 3D averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.4K ratings, while 3D Star Map averages 4.5 from 10 ratings.
Do StarMap 3D or 3D Star Map have ads?
Neither StarMap 3D nor 3D Star Map shows ads.
Which is updated more often, StarMap 3D or 3D Star Map?
StarMap 3D ships an update every 6 weeks, and 3D Star Map every 2 weeks. Most recently, StarMap 3D was updated on October 31, 2026 and 3D Star Map on October 24, 2026.

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