# Mars Globe vs Galaxy Map

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Mars Globe at none against Galaxy Map's 13. Mars Globe also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (91% vs 80%). Galaxy Map's advantage is update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, rating, ratings volume and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Galaxy Map sells 13 one-off in-app purchases. Mars Globe asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Mars Globe against 4.6 for Galaxy Map. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 337 and 600 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 91% of Mars Globe's written reviews are positive against 80% of Galaxy Map's.

Mars Globe ships an update every 3 months, Galaxy Map every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mars Globe | Galaxy Map |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (337 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mars-globe/id324185998/reviews)** | [4.6 (600 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/galaxy-map/id1170905456/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 337 | **600** |
| Positive reviews | **90.7% of reviews** | 80.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 55 MB | 613 MB |
| Requires iOS | **7.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Midnight Martian](https://appshunter.io/developer/284473660) | [Andrei Nistorescu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1048905386) |

## What reviewers say

### Mars Globe

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mars-globe/id324185998)

Explore the Red Planet with a detailed virtual globe. This app features high-resolution satellite maps, altimeter data, and advanced topographic lighting to showcase Mars' surface. Discover over 1500 annotated features and enjoy an introductory guided tour.

**Highlights:** High-resolution satellite map, Laser altimeter data, Advanced topographic lighting, Annotated surface features, Introduction and guided tour, Free exploration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth and fast
- 📚 Detailed and informative
- 🌍 Realistic 3D globe
- 🔍 Ability to explore and zoom
- 🎨 Adjustable lighting and visuals

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Limited zoom capability
- 🕰️ Outdated information (missing recent missions)
- 🗺️ Distortion when panning/rotating globe
- 🖼️ Could use higher resolution imagery

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional crashes or freezes
- Compatibility issues on older devices

**Requested features**

- Add support for other planets and moons
- Integrate real-time data from active Mars missions
- Implement a search function to quickly find locations
- Add an option to view Mars from an Earth-based perspective


### Galaxy Map

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/galaxy-map/id1170905456)

Explore the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies in an interactive 3D map. Discover nebulae, supernovae, and planets, with stunning visuals based on NASA data. Ideal for education and space enthusiasts.

**Highlights:** Interactive 3D galaxy map, Explore nebulae and supernovae, Fly through planetary atmospheres, Land on planets, Based on NASA data, Available in 100+ languages

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Buy ship - Alien Destroyer | $0.99 | one-time |
| Buy ship - Alien fighter | $0.99 | one-time |
| Remove ads | $1.99 | one-time |
| Buy ship - Alien Destroyer | $1.99 | one-time |
| Buy ship - Alien fighter | $1.99 | one-time |
| 3D Visualization Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Buy ship - Dragon Frigate | $1.99 | one-time |
| Essentials bundle - SALE | $2.99 | one-time |
| Remove ads | $3.99 | one-time |
| 3D Visualization Pack | $3.99 | one-time |
| Ultimate bundle - SALE | $4.99 | one-time |
| Essentials bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Ultimate bundle | $8.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌌 Impressive 3D galaxy and nebula visualizations
- 🚀 Spaceship exploration feature with landing capability
- 📚 Educational content about space and astronomy
- 🎮 Fun and engaging gameplay mechanics
- ✨ No ads in free version

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Excessive paywall for most content
- 🐛 App crashes and fails to load
- 🎮 Poor control mechanics for flying and walking
- 🔍 Lack of zoom functionality or unclear controls
- 🌑 Black holes look too similar to each other

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on startup
- Explore button shows nothing
- Pinch-to-zoom doesn't work
- App won't load on iPad
- Text displays as boxes in language settings

**Requested features**

- Search button to find galaxies and objects
- More diverse and realistic black hole designs
- AR feature to identify stars/planets in real sky
- More free content and objects
- Exoplanet additions (TRAPPIST-1e, J1407B)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mars Globe free?

Mars Globe is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Galaxy Map free?

Galaxy Map is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Mars Globe or Galaxy Map?

Mars Globe is rated higher. Mars Globe averages 4.7 out of 5 from 337 ratings, while Galaxy Map averages 4.6 from 600 ratings.

### Do Mars Globe or Galaxy Map have ads?

Galaxy Map shows ads; Mars Globe does not.

### Which is updated more often, Mars Globe or Galaxy Map?

Mars Globe ships an update every 3 months, and Galaxy Map every 5 weeks. Most recently, Mars Globe was updated on September 22, 2026 and Galaxy Map on September 30, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*