Mars Globe vs Cosmic Atlas
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Mars Globe
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.
- High-resolution satellite map
- Laser altimeter data
- Advanced topographic lighting
- Annotated surface features
- Introduction and guided tour
- Free exploration
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Take a tour of the mysterious Red Planet. This virtual globe combines a high-resolution satellite map with laser altimeter data and advanced topographic lighting to present the planet Mars as it appears from above. An Introduction and Guided Tour present some of Mars' most intriguing features. You can leave the guided tour and explore Mars as you like; over 1500 surface features have been annotated with information and links. Mars Globe is a must-have app for anyone interested in our solar system.
Cosmic Atlas
Explore a vast, scientifically rendered universe with lifelike exoplanets and detailed celestial bodies. Navigate through trillions of light years with multiple exploration modes, from first-person flight to telescopic identification. Discover and learn about thousands of planets beyond our solar system.
- Explore 5,000+ lifelike exoplanets
- Navigate 180 trillion sq light years
- Six interstellar travel modes
- First-person planet view
- Scientifically accurate renderings
- Telescope identification mode
- Detailed planet information panels
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Go beyond star gazing. Visit nearly 5,000 lifelike exoplanets and navigate 180 trillion square light years of the universe beyond our solar system. Featuring 6 modes of interstellar travel and examination, Cosmic Atlas is an open-world space exploration app for those who look up at the night sky and wonder what we may find in the infinite frontier of the universe. Try it free and fly anywhere in the solar system plus six bonus planetary systems for a total of 50+ stunning planets, moons, and dwarf planets. Upgrade for all the incredible planets and features to explore every corner of the Milky Way mapped by NASA, JPL, ESA, and other international space programs. ::::: VISIT THOUSANDS OF PLANETS ::::: First-person view of 4,987 recently discovered exoplanets with stunning 3D models featuring detailed atmospheres and surfaces using science-driven artist renderings, including: [•] Potentially habitable Earth-like planets in the Habitable Zone that can support liquid water [•] Hot terrestrial planets closer to the system's star with landscapes from windswept sands to volcanic infernos or oppressive Venus-like atmospheres [•] Cold terrestrial planets past the habitable zone covered with rocks, frozen deserts, or sheets of ice [•] Jovian gas giants with colorful cloud layers based on the elements visible in the upper atmosphere at different temperatures [•] Neptunian ice giants with outer clouds that appear glassy smooth or enveloped with strings of cool clouds ::PLUS:: High resolution planets, moons, and dwarf planets in our own Solar System created from enhanced NASA mission images ::::: MASSIVE OPEN COSMIC ENVIRONMENT ::::: [•] Over 180 trillion square light years of the Milky Way ready to explore at it’s true scale [•] 116,000+ unique stars individually colored to match their true color temperature in blue, yellow, or red spectrums [•] 3,710 unique planetary systems with confirmed exoplanets [•] Scientifically accurate star positions and luminosity to see what the night sky looks like from distant worlds [•] Data-rich information panels to learn about planet attributes, parent system, discovery method, and research programs credited with its discovery [•] Flag stars and planets to easily revisit later ::::: SIX EXPLORATION MODES ::::: [New!] Telescope :: to point your phone at the sky to identify planets, stars, and distant planetary systems Pilot :: with first person flight controls and autopilot to lock trajectory toward a selected destination Orbit :: to easily navigate systems and rotate or zoom in to examine planets Navigator :: to find nearby systems and planets or revisit saved planets Database :: to browse the complete catalog find new exoplanets, planetary systems, and stars Search :: to find specific stars and exoplanets or nearby planets, moons, and dwarf planets in our solar system ::::: SETTINGS ::::: HDR Lighting :: Active by default, HDR lighting shows realistic relative brightness of stars and planets. Toggle HDR off for consistent lighting with stars and the Milky Way always visible in the background. Systems Only :: Enable to hide labels for stars without exoplanets in Pilot, Navigator, & Telescope modes. Objects with Info Only :: Enable to hide labels for stars without detailed data available. ::::: DATA SOURCES ::::: Using the latest exoplanet data from programs by NASA and the European Space Agency, Cosmic Atlas is a true-to-scale 3D environment where users can freely explore our small section Milky Way galaxy and examine thousands of newly discovered stars and exoplanets. The latest planetary system data is collected from a number of public research programs, including the University of Puerto Rico's Planetary Habitability Laboratory and the NASA Exoplanet Archive, which is operated by the California Institute of Technology, under contract with NASA under the Exoplanet Exploration Program.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Mars Globe at 4.7 against Cosmic Atlas's 3.7. Mars Globe also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and review sentiment (91% vs 59%). Cosmic Atlas's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, ads 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
Both are free to download. Cosmic Atlas sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Mars Globe asks for nothing beyond the download.
Mars Globe holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mars Globe has 342 ratings behind it against 65, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 91% of Mars Globe's written reviews are positive against 59% of Cosmic Atlas's.
Mars Globe ships an update every 3 months, Cosmic Atlas every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Mars Globe | Cosmic Atlas |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (342 ratings) — better | 3.7 (65 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 90.7% of reviews — better | 58.5% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 342 — better | 65 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 7.0 — better | 14.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 55 MB | 147 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Midnight Martian | Cosmic Atlas LLC |
Customer experience
Mars Globe
Cosmic Atlas
User reviews
Mars Globe
From 342 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Smooth and fast
- 📚 Detailed and informative
- 🌍 Realistic 3D globe
- 🔍 Ability to explore and zoom
- 🎨 Adjustable lighting and visuals
Room to improve
- 🔍 Limited zoom capability
- 🕰️ Outdated information (missing recent missions)
- 🗺️ Distortion when panning/rotating globe
- 🖼️ Could use higher resolution imagery
Cosmic Atlas
From 65 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- ✨ Stunning visuals and graphics
- 🌌 Immersive exploration experience
- 📚 Great for learning about the universe
- 💡 Unique and original app
- 🚀 Fast and smooth performance (when working)
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and errors
- 💸 Paywalls limit free version
- 🤔 Confusing in-app purchases
- 📱 Text size difficult to read
- 😵 Over-the-top and irritating graphics
Bugs and requests
Mars Globe
Reported bugs
2 issues- Occasional crashes or freezes
- Compatibility issues on older devices
Requested features
4 requests- 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
Cosmic Atlas
Reported bugs
8 issues- App crashes upon opening
- Kicked out of the game
- Cannot connect to server
- Error that doesn't let user in
- Planets brighten up unexpectedly
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- Dark side of planets brightens up
- Cannot buy upgrades
- App became free after purchase, now requires new purchase for features
Requested features
7 requests- Add more solar system objects
- Fix Haumea's shape
- Add more candidates, dwarf moons, hypothetical objects, spacecrafts, anomalies, random asteroids, meteoroids, and comets
- Add ability to go into planets and see a preview
- Add more galaxies to travel to
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- Add a search page/bar
- Add control for enlarging text
In-app purchases
Mars Globe
No in-app purchases
Cosmic Atlas
- Premium Features$0.99








